Of Impulse and Fey
by SomethingCleverHopefully
Summary: BACK FROM HIATUS. I haven't the knack of telling tales, nor am I much in the mood to do so, but your eager eyes don't leave me with any other option. My name is Shizuru Viola and my story goes as such.
1. Chapter 1

Constraint: (_n._) 1 **a**: the act of constraining **b**: the state of being checked, restricted, or compelled to avoid or perform some action. **c**: a constraining agency or force 2 **a**: repression of one's own feelings, behavior, or actions **b**: a sense or being constrained

I haven't the knack of telling tales, nor am I much in the mood to do so, but your eager eyes don't leave me with any other option. Still, I will do my best to abstain from the half- hearted attempt some storytellers make when relaying urgent information without out the help of heavy coin.

My name is Shizuru Viola and my story goes as such.

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_Of Impulse and Fey_

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_**A woman**_ in my position has no chance of acting on whim and fancy without the whiplash of consequence. Now CEO of Violet Corporations, a strong woman such as me cannot indulge in frivolous impulses. Distractions, however, are welcome. Albeit few in number, temporary distractions are necessary evils. They are as needed as any important contract or employee to keep such a successful business going. That is not forgetting that _certain_ distractions are to be handled carefully. I choose my women wisely and dispose of them in just the same painstaking manner. I can say I am very proud of that. Distractions are easy and impulses are known to be my first steps into causing self-harm.

So, please, somebody tell me why I have given in to purchasing a gigantic beast on whim.

"I thought Sundays were meant to be boring." I muttered to myself while cruising through the molasses of cars during rush hour. "This is why I don't like to leave work on time," I sighed. There was nothing pending my approval at the office. All paperwork finished on time, no sudden lawsuits, and no petty meetings meant that I could drive home at an earlier hour. A nice thought it was at the time, I found that the saying "No good deed goes unpunished" rang true all too soon. Leaning my head back against the headrest of my vehicle, I closed my eyes with my foot on the brake and the top rolled down, I felt the warm sun beam on my face amongst the gridlock.

Half an hour later, my impatience began to take a hold of me, my foot itching to switch into high gear and speed home. _Only a couple blocks more until I can hit the free road home._ Creeping slowly toward the last of the congested streetlights, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. This was my customary response to the feeling of being watched, and that is quite often, truth be told. Used to being admired from afar, I discreetly looked over to my left. Nothing exciting but the horrifying spectacle of an old man digging deep into his nose thinking he had the privacy of an enclosed space. Suppressing a mild shiver, I looked to my right. A young man silently screaming to his favorite song in hopes of making traffic move faster was all I found. Puzzled, I checked my rear view mirror and saw nothing but the outline of a person bent over to their right. "Most likely dropped something," I said to the air.

Looking around again with no results, I felt my agitation simply begin to rise. Finally inching first in line of the pedestrian crosswalk, the first sparks of irritation sizzled out of my usually cool composure. "Won't this damn light turn already?" I exclaimed through gritted teeth. These imaginary set of keen eyes were perturbing to say the least. I gripped my steering wheel and wiggled unhappily in my tan buttery leather seat. Perhaps I was in dire need of relaxation and _distraction_ after such an uneventful, traffic-filled day. After what felt like an eternity later, the light turned green and I gunned it home.

Two weeks have passed since I first felt the eyes and the feeling has not lessened. I was getting rather edgy because of it. It didn't matter if I was at work, home, or with company, I can always sense them. I feel as though I've been targeted. _No, not targeted but __**chosen**__, _I thought while shuffling through an irate employee's report of a new product line gone wrong.

The pit of my stomach felt cold at the sudden realization and I pushed away from my desk abruptly. For the past two weeks I had taken care to avoid the street altogether, but honestly it feels like it does nothing but worsen the problem! Rolling back to the edge of my desk, both exhausted and a bit defeated from a serious workweek and this never-ending uncomfortable situation, I rested my red irises.

It started at the base of my skull, this dull ache of loneliness. Apprehension and impatience flashed through my nerve system making my fingers twitch restlessly on my armrests. Suddenly, a hot spear of abandonment twisted with rage tore through my heart. Gasping awake I found that it was nearly two hours since I rested my eyes. "I must get home. I can finish my work there," I grumbled hastily while shoving the report in my suitcase.

Over the past torturous weeks, this was most definitely a first. I….Well I suppose I felt sorry for…whatever it was. It felt human, yet it most assuredly was not. "I'm just tired and that _is all_." I told myself firmly as I punched viciously at the elevator button to the company garage. I took a cleansing breath as I felt rather than saw the elevator dive down fluidly to the appointed floor. A small _ding_ informed that both the apparatus and I made a safe touch down and the smooth sliding doors opened to reveal an empty parking lot save for my Aston Martin _Vanquish _that was in a dark magenta. Pushing the recent events somewhere in the recesses of my mind to go over later, I trudged down to my vehicle and took the back streets home. I completely missed in my weariness that this route took me through the alley of _that_ street. With my windows rolled down, I began my journey home.

"C'mon ya mangy mutt, eat! I ain't got time fer yer tantrum ta-day," shouted a raspy deep voice just a bit further down the street. His voice had echoed up the road and filtered into my ears. Curious, I slowed to a stop to witness a middle-aged red haired fellow scolding a humongous dog. At least, I thought it was a dog. The thing was massive and born with a coat in such a rich navy blue, that if it had been any later in the evening, I would not have seen it slinking in the shadows. All at once, the great hound jerked his head in my direction and apprehended me with bright, glittering unearthly green eyes. Instantaneously, I knew that these were the same ghost eyes I had been assaulted by for weeks.

Unnerved, I quickly parked at the mouth of the alleyway, not trusting myself to drive safely for my knees began to quake. Not knowing what to do next, I sat in my car for a few beats, then noticing the expecting eyes of the canine and the quizzical look of the man, I sheepishly stepped out of my car. Figuring that a good stretch of the legs would do me some good anyway, I walked over to the figures standing about fifty feet away. The big thing's tail thumped loudly on the uneven cobble stones that made stretch of the alley at my oncoming arrival. "Well I'll be damned, she likes ya," harrumphed the man when I was within five feet of them and then stuck out his meaty hand with a chuckle. "The name's Jack. And she, well, ne'er got 'round ta namin' 'er." My throat was as dry as a bone. Nerves were creating fluttering butterflies in my belly as I stood before Jack a tad disoriented. "A- Sorry," I said clearing my throat, "Shizuru Viola, pleasure to meet you."

Unable to keep my gaze from slipping down to the dog that _sat_ just at my hip, ears not accounted for, I saw her lips peel back to reveal a smug toothy grin. _Surely, dogs are not capable of such facial expressions_. "Ma'am, I know this is a pretty odd thing ta ask and it's pretty late at night, but can ya help me wit' somethin'?" Snapping out my daze, I looked up at the man almost forgetting that he was present.

"Erm, I don't see why not if it doesn't take too long." I replied, plastering a smile on my face in hopes to distract from the light sheen of sweat I could feel forming on my forehead. A little shamefaced, the man scrubbed the back of his neck. "Nah, it shouldn't take too long. It may be a bit much ta ask though, but I can't get 'er ta eat. I saw that she started ta wag 'er tail an' that's somethin' she ne'er does. She likes ya well enough. Can ya try feedin' 'er?" A strong gust of wind rustled the shutters of a nearby house and I took a step back to really look at the dog. "I shall do my best." I responded with a shaky smile. I was terrified. I don't know a thing about pets, let alone this…this tyrannosaurus rex! Facing the hound, I placed my hands to my knees, now at perfect eye- level. "So, what does a beautiful beast such as you eat?"

Human food.

After asking the question, she gazed at me for a short while, making sure I was ready for her request I suppose, and then began to lightly trot to the small burger joint on the adjoining street. Incredulous that she understood me, I followed and made two orders of hamburgers from the dingy little screened window without much thought. "Hey! Waitaminute! Dogs can't eat 'uman food. It makes 'em sick!" Jack cried while hobbling over to us. It was at this moment I saw his artificial leg in the moon light.

"Well," I began, "she seems intelligent enough to know what she wants." Even though these words came out calmly, I was still rather piqued. This creature left an odd feeling in my stomach.

"No, really, it makes 'em vomit an' 'ave painful gas," Jack said trying to reason with me.

"Would you like mayo or mustard with your burger miss?" The bored, pimple- ridden male cashier asked me while smacking his gum. For reasons unknown, I looked down expectantly at the dog. Expecting this massive canine to answer, _pah_, what in the world was I thinking? "Ah mustard, plea-" Before I could finish an enormous paw stepped over my right foot followed by a menacing growl of warning. Lightly bouncing on my toes and with another clearing of my throat, I tried again, petrified. "Sorry, I'd like mayo instead please."

Her tail began to knock against my leg and I figured she was pretty damn pleased with herself.

When her food had arrived, Jack and I realized that we were hungry as well. I ordered for the both of us; although, it was a near out brawl because Jack _insisted_ that women should never pay for a man's meal. That aside, it was a nice evening.

I also learned that the gigantic thing damn near loved mayo. I did my very best to hide my disgust when she licked her chops languidly in delight. I was never a fan of mayonnaise. "So, Jack, have you always owned the little pet shop?" I questioned. Jack had been wearing a green polo shirt with the bright gold engraving of _Juliard's Pet Emporium_. I deduced by this and the large amount of keys that hung on the belt loop of his khaki pants that he was the owner of the place. "Hm, oh no, came 'ere maybe a coupla months ago wi' my wife an' three kids."

"I see. How did you come by the shop?"

"Oh, well, I'm good wi' animals an' 'ad a shop of me own once. Guy out 'ere said he was leavin' an' couldn't take the animals wi' 'im an' he didn't wan' ta put 'em all down or take 'em to a shelter. Said they would rot there. So I said I'd come 'round an' take over th' shop an' 'ere we are." He waved grandly over the alley with a brilliant smile. "That is very kind of you," I replied smiling myself.

"And, if ya don't mind me askin', what do you do?"

"I'm the CEO of Violet Corporations."

"Oh! Ya mean ya own tha' big fancy building? The computer company on Cavear Avenue?"

"Yes," I said as politely as I could. Letting people know that I owned the company is not without its benefits, but neither is it without its deficits. One being that people who barely know you ask for favors . . . often. "Tha's verra good fer ya dear. I wish ya all well an' good." He said with another warm smile. Looking him over closely it seemed like he really meant it. Humbled, I relaxed further into my sparkling water. A small comfortable silence settled between the three of us as the now sullen wind drifted along its invisible path. Nodding my head in the great big wolf's direction I asked, "How did you come by her?"

"She was in th' shop when I came. Owner said a keep a wary eye on 'er. Said she was nothin' but trouble since he got 'er from th' pound, and I 'ave ta admit she was in the beginnin'. Nearly took ma hand off the big oaf! Anyway, Juliard, th' ol' owner, said tha' since he couldn't take 'er wi' 'im I 'ad a choice of keepin' 'er or sellin'. Sometimes sellin' is _mighty _tempting." He added eyes narrowing playfully at the hound in question.

She had been lying on her stomach with her paws tucked under her muzzle dozing off as one does when content on a full stomach. Upon noticing our attention on her, she merely lifted her massive head and huffed in annoyance before relaxing again. "It's like she can really understand us." I said with wonder. "Yeah, I think she can. I brough' my little girl in once, an' she said tha' th' dog was under a spell by th' fey." I nearly spit out my fizzy water.

"I'm sorry, the what?"

"Ah, I ferget tha' some people don't know, the fey are what ya may call 'faeries'."

"As in pixie dust and magic wands?"

"Oh no girlie, th' fey are pranksters an' things t' be cautious of at that. Evil an' cunnin' bastards they are. Nasty things that Americans sugar coat for the sake of their young. Bad parenting if ya ask me." He said shaking his head reproachfully before taking the last swig from his Coca- Cola bottle. "Right, well it was nice meeting you Jack. I had a wonderfully peaceful evening thanks to you two, but I've got to get going. I have a lot of work to finish up before the night is over." I took note that the moon was high above us now. "I need ta close shop as well, c'mon ya mangy mutt say good-bye coz it's time fer bed." Jack said nudging the dog with his foot. Stretching out across the pavement, I saw how big she really was.

"It was a pleasure Jack. I hope that our paths cross again in the future." I said walking backward happily to my car. The red haired man bade his good-natured farewell and turned to close up. The canine was having none of it. As I was walking to my vehicle, the keys jingling in my hand, I kept hearing the faint clicking of her nails trailing after me. I turned to find that she lugged her body over to me with a determined set of emerald orbs. "I am not taking you home darling. Heaven knows I cannot handle a pet. Run along to Jack, he'll keep you safe and warm." I knew she understood me somehow, so I tried to head back to my car again.

The continued clicking forced me to turn around again. " 'ey, girlie, looks like she really wants ta go 'ome wi' ya," Called out Jack after making several failed attempts at catching her attention to bring her back into the shop. "Look," I stated firmly as I possibly could, "I cannot take you home. I have a business to run. I have absolutely no _time_ for you."

That would have worked if she hadn't dished out the heartbroken whine matched with the wet puppy dog eyes. _Dirty trick_.

Next thing I knew I was in Jack's shop trying to decide between purchasing standard pet food or simply buying out the burger joint next door. Our eyes met as I was holding a bag of organic puppy chow and I put it back with a sigh. I suppose I will make a call to the lucky owner in the morning.

Turned out Jack had not thought of selling. He didn't think anyone would actually want to because she usually snapped and growled at everyone who had gotten too close. Jack was a little shy when it had finally come to naming his price. He knew she was a beauty and valuable because of Juliard, but he did not want to scare away his potentially only customer for this hound.

After a quick look at the small run down shop, and how much Jack went out of his way to keep the animals comfortable by way of Mickey Mouse-d contraptions, I made my decision. I wanted Jack to live comfortably with his wife and three children and the cute zoo of a pet shop. After some negotiation, I loop holed myself into paying more than Jack had ever dreamed.

Yes, generosity was on the menu for tonight.

"I did some research when I first saw 'er." Jack commented as I placed my card into his wide palm. "I think she sort o' looks like a wolf. Th' closest comparison I could find was from th' _canis lupis ligoni_ breed. They also call'em th' 'Alexander Archipelago' wolf. Still, she's too large an' blue in color. 'er teeth are different too."

"Thanks for the 411 Jack," I said smiling in amusement. "I'll keep in touch."

Driving on my way home, with the _canis lupis ligoni_-like wolf sticking its head out cutely in the passenger seat, I thought that perhaps this would not be so bad. Stealing another sideways glance, I caught her lolling her tongue out into the wind. _No this won't be bad at all._

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Hello again everyone, it's nice to be back! I know it has taken a VERY long time for me to wrap this story up, but it's time to get going. I will try to update the next chapter every 2 weeks. For those of you who have been following this story since the beginning, I have to say there are going to be some changes, but it is still the same concept of a story. Thank you everyone who has waited patiently.

-SCH


	2. Chapter 2

"What's past is prologue." –_The Tempest _

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_Of Impulse and Fey_

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**The Viola** **estate** was not as grand as its name, but it was still home. The mansion was made of brick in a terracotta red color with a trim of rich cream. The curtains were drawn back behind large open windows allowing the moon and strangers to peek inside my living space. Baby vines began to creep up the walls in between the bushels of heliotrope and moonflower. Tall maple trees surrounded the home for privacy, but I always felt that sense of security one does when snuggled into a blanket. Not quite, cut off from the world, but far enough away to breathe. As I drove in the wide "U" shaped driveway, the towering three stories greeted you with intimidating warmth, just like that of the great big, scary looking hound next to me that really only wanted to play and to be loved.

My butler, Kanzaki Reito, stood patiently at the door. My parents had insisted that I bring him with me to my new home, but he and I knew that I was going to anyway. It was a lonely road to the top as they say, and between the array of women and work related stresses, he had been my sole confidant. He never once judged my actions, unless of course one counted the two bad apples I had the misfortune of bedding in prior years. Still, I am sure he was just as content coming along with me as I was to bring him, but we never acknowledge that. It was only a silent whisper of gratitude between us.

With his dark hair, mysterious light brown eyes, poetic mouth, and tall lean muscular build, he could be seen as the Japanese version of Adonis. Now that I looked at him, I realized that he is quite handsome, even though we have no desire for each other. We met several years ago when I had decided to take work against my parents' wishes. Being the reckless youth that I was, I had begun working at the _Nine Tails Pleasure Service_ as a call girl for solely female clientele. I can still remember the long and tedious nights, the routine check-ups, whispering sweet nothings, and the scent of various perfumes that gave me headaches. Reito had been a lower level manager at the time, which boils down to him being my boss.

About six months into the job, I had become _very_ popular. Constantly rotating between appointments, drinking had become my anchor. Six months, became nine, and nine became a year and the job only escalated to woeful heights. One night after a call, I stumbled back to the office in a drunken stupor trying to get the keys back to my car to drive home. Reito flatly refused my request. Furious, I rushed forward too quickly for my stomach and annoyingly vomited all over the tacky pink tiles. He helped me get cleaned up, set me up in one of the private rooms, and left a bottle of fizzy water and tablets of aspirin for the morning. That was how our friendship commenced.

Nearing the end of my second year, I had a list of regulars and cut down on my drinking. Reito taught me how to spread out my appointments into more manageable timetables, and gave me a much-deserved raise. Things were looking up, until one of my regulars became too possessive. She convinced herself that we were in love and tried to talk me into an honest relationship and leaving the company entirely. The woman tried for weeks interrupting my other client's appointments. Finally, I told her to never make pencil me in again, because that was what they were, _appointments._ The same evening I sent her away, she returned with a baseball bat. Swinging wildly at anything she thought would draw my attention, the woman nearly hit me. Launching into action, Reito and I doubled- teamed the ex-client and successfully pinned her to the ground.

When the police finally arrived to drive her away, He and I made the decision to retire and let bygones be bygones. I left to become a careful person, to simmer down and allow myself to take the path my parents wanted for me. He left for similar reasons. I offered him a position in the household as butler and he accepted, and that was how we ended up here together.

"Ma'am, I see that we now have a new addition to the family." Reito called out with a small smile, undoubtedly surprised at the "new addition's" size when she stepped out of the car. "That's right. Reito, could you please help me with the bags? They're a bit heavy to carry all at once." He had already come down the steps toward the car offering a helping hand. "Need you ask woman?" Reito smarmily replied. He and I dropped the honorifics as soon as we moved separately from my parents. Playful banter was our specialty. The oversized wolf had been sniffing around the bushes while Reito and I climbed up the steps. Her big blue- black tail began swishing lazily in delight when she came to sniff at my hidden bed of honeysuckle. _You are more than welcome to do your business out front, but please do _not_ kill my plants!_ I mentally pleaded the wolf as if she could hear my thoughts.

Kanzaki and I finished placing all of the dog supplies in their decidedly proper places whilst the dog was still outside. She seemed very nervous about entering the house. If I didn't know any better, I would say that she was adorably shy. Her sharp green eyes searched mine for support. Moving to a new place always feels off to those moving in. I walked over to pet her murmuring, "It's alright to be a little frightened. This house is bigger than the pet shop after all, but I am sure you will come to like it. Come, shall we give you a tour of the inside?" After a few more minutes of coaxing, she padded inside.

The estate was a lot more to take in on the inside I suspect. One look around with her big head had her backpedaling for the door. Before doing anything else, she moved on over to sniff at Reito, familiarizing herself with something much simpler than the blueprint of rooms and hallways. During the tour, I reminisced on how I had fallen in love with the place as soon as I laid eyes on it. I busied myself on the restoration and the renovation once I had purchased it. Featuring a grand staircase, four working fireplaces with period mantles, chestnut wainscoting and paneling, coffered and beamed ceilings, and French limestone flooring I suppose you could think of it like a grand cottage.

Still, the back yard was my favorite. I was lucky to acquire two acres of land and I reveled in the broad stretch of lawn. Lush green grass and beds of vegetation stretched for miles. To the left of the yard was a pool house complete with an indoor pool where Reito and I spent our mornings exercising. The garage was located further back behind the pool house divided by a paved driveway that led to the front of the house. "What do you think?" I asked the dog. Her tail wagged happily in response. Reito had been standing outside with me when he suggested that we name her. "Blacky," I responded playfully. Reito cringed. "Shizuru, please, we need a _good _name." I pouted. "Fine then, not 'Blacky'," I huffed, "Reito, you know I've never had a pet before. How in the world am I supposed to name this great, big lump of wolf?"

She growled a little, not taking the insult too lightly.

Reito's eyes nearly popped cleanly out of their sockets. "Did the… did the dog just understand 'great, big lump of wolf'?" I looked down at her. "Yes, I suppose she did."

Naming something is easier said than done. "Ugh, Reito, I have to go to work in the morning. I do not have _time_ to name this dog right now." I said tiredly scrubbing my hands over my face, which is not something I normally indulged in. "Shizuru, if not now, then when? You and I both know that if she is not named _now_ she will _never_ be named. Have a heart Viola, she can't always be called 'hound' or 'dog' or 'wolf'."

"Why can't we stick with something simple like 'wolf'?"

"Shizuru, I would not like to be named 'butler' or 'human' for the rest of my life! She is now your companion and thus apart of this family._ She needs a name!_"

"Alright, _alright_, but couldn't you keep looking through the baby names book? I really have to turn in soon."

"No, this is a dual effort. You and I have to agree on a name before we take her to the vet."

"What, says who?"

"Says the person you trust with your life."

"…Fine," I snarled moodily, staring blankly into the baby- naming booklet that Reito _conveniently_ had. We continued to diligently fire names back and forth at each other for another two hours. When we finally agreed on a few names, we tried them on the beast, and she would then look back at us with indifference. "I think you should take a half day tomorrow."

Her bed was placed in my room for the time being. I thought that leaving her in a room of her own too soon would spook her, at least for the first few days. Although, I would be lying if I said that I did not look forward to fulfilling one of my childhood fantasies of sleeping with a cuddly dog. I may be the embodiment of sophistication but I allow my childish antics to see daylight from time to time.

Getting ready for bed, I noticed that the night air was a bit cool. My body temperature usually runs cold so I figured I should dress a little warmer than usual for the night. Undressing, I settled for one of my favorite vintage nightgowns, a beautiful American made 1940's bias cut nightgown in ivory. Never was there a time I didn't feel like a movie star when I put it on. It did not register in my mind fast enough that the hound had gone sudden quiet when she had been making a ruckus snooping about the room a few seconds earlier.

When I finally clamored into bed and turned off the lights, I patted the space next to me compassionately. Essentially this was to signal the pup to climb in with me, but instead she looked at me with open embarrassment. _If dogs could blush…_ "Come into bed, if you don't like sleeping with me you can sleep in your own room tomorrow." I stated patting the space again. I did nothing to hide my amusement as she continued to stare at me across the room, but I did take care to hide my disgruntlement. _Really, those eyes should not belong to _any_ animal. They are unlike any other dog's I have seen before. Those eyes are as expressive as mine, a human! _I thought as her emerald orbs glowed eerily in the dark.

Reluctantly she started toward me as quietly as she could and placed her massive jaws onto the bed. She stared at me deeply, eyes asking for assurance. I obligingly patted the bed once more. With much grace and deft, she leapt onto the bed and immediately curled away from me. Frowning in the dark, I wondered if I should leave her where she was or coerce her into cuddling with me. I did _not_ want this dog to chomp out bits out of my arms if she found herself too uncomfortable. _Well, here goes nothing._ Steeling myself, I brought my arm around the beast and drew her firmly into my chest from the edge of the bed where she precariously placed herself.

I held my breath for a few beats, waiting for any incoming nerve ending signals of pain. When there was none, I relaxed and, so it seemed, did she. Once we settled in companionably, something odd popped in my head. "I thought dogs did that circle thing in the movies," I said thoughtfully. Huffing, the wolf stood on the bed and circled around three times before settling beside me again. Speechless, I simply scooted closer to the hound as we settled beside each other. _Maybe she was getting comfortable before doing the circle thing, yes, that's it. Of course she didn't understand that. _"…I think I must be truly exhausted," I mumbled still shaking my head at the incredulity. A few moments later though, my thoughts immediately fled as I held onto the warm furry beast, I honestly could not think of another time I slept so soundly and warm.

As the human female slept, she itched to transform. This form was tolerable at best when she was able to roam free and run, however so far she had only been able to sit in a cage.

_ She. Hated. Cages_

Too long had she stayed in this form that she began to adopt more characteristics of a domesticated canine and nearly losing sight of her initial goal. This human female seemed like she will be very useful in the near future. A contented sigh breezed past her ears causing them to twitch and a warm firm body snuggled closer against her back. Staying in this form a little while longer could not hurt when the human female seemed so comfortable.

I awoke promptly at six o'clock, as was my custom. Stretching my arms over head, I realized that it had been a very long time since I slept so blissfully. Sitting up, I saw that the wolf was already up and was sitting patiently by the closed door. I figured she needed the facilities, so I obligingly opened the door and walked her down to the back porch.

As we walked down the hall, I tried to scramble up the remnants of the dreams that I'm sure I had. I could never remember my dreams. No matter how I vivid I was sure they were, my nighttime imagination was always illusive. Who would have known that the "great and powerful" Shizuru had trouble dreaming? It isn't entirely uncommon for a person not being able to recall their dreams either, but my parents looked at me like I was a freak of nature, and if I am not mistaken, a bit disappointed as well. As a result, it made me a little sad at not having control over something that was a part of me. Nonetheless, this time was no different and I sighed rather depressingly as I slid the backdoor open for the dog.

Reito had finished preparing breakfast when we reached the door and followed us outside. As we watched the hound, I felt something emerging from the depths of my sleepy mind. "Reito, what about 'Natsuki'?" I asked unexpectedly. He gave me a quick sideways glance before answering. "Where did you come up with that? That's a boy's name," he drawled. I remained quiet in my thoughts for a couple moments, my mood suddenly pensive.

"It just came out of the blue. I honestly have no idea, but each time I look at her. . . Don't you think she is a little too strong for a girl name anyway?"

"I suppose you're right," he answered shifting to lean on his other leg. "Well, have you tried it yet? Does she like it?"

"Nope, so let's see if we can make it stick this time. Come Natsuki, it is time for breakfast!"

The beast, already heading back, whipped her head up so fast at her new name I thought she would have whiplash! She started wagging her tail wildly before racing up to where we were standing on the back porch. It must have been the happiest swishing of her tail that I had seen so far. Natsuki then trot up the steps and Reito and I could not help but pat her head in contented relief. _Finally, she has a name._ I felt rather satisfied at finding a suitable name all by myself. Together an odd, yet happy family; I don't remember the last time I felt so pleasantly whole. Not since I moved out of the house and a few months later my parents vanished into thin air. Thinking about them again made me stiffen. The familiar medicine ball of worry sank heavy in my stomach.

Even after a full-scale investigation, they were never found, and I always wondered if it would have been easier for me to part with them if at least their bodies were recovered. It was hard to mourn for them when all I had were empty coffins containing air and memories. They were good people, my parents. Heaven knows just how much I miss them.

As we began to troop into the house Reito turned and muttered, "You could have put on your robe before we stepped outside. You know how _she_ gets when there is a chance to see any cubic centimeter _more_ of your skin." He spat with such utter loathing that I was afraid the steps would melt. Of course I knew who he was talking about. _She_ was the second bad apple I had the misfortune of making an acquaintance with in the form of my next- door neighbor. Marguerite.

She threw down her binoculars angrily. How dare Shizuru-chan buy a dog without her permission! Dogs were stupid and ugly and slobbery. They cared for nothing more than attention and love; attention and love that was already reserved for her and her alone. She couldn't ignore the fact that dogs were known for being loyal to a fault though. Tossing her teal hair over her shoulder with a huff, Tomoe Marguerite bent over to retrieve her cracked binoculars. Casting a quick glance at the broken glass lenses, she tossed her binoculars again, this time into the trash bin, with disgust.

"I need to pay my dear Shizuru a visit," she seethed. She wasn't terribly livid since it gave her a reason to visit her goddess, but she wasn't too happy about the drooling canine either. "I would need to bring this pooch a gift." She swore under her breath, formalities were such a drag. What in the world could she give a do-. . . Oh well that was an idea. Meat, she could gift it meat; dogs like that, specifically poisoned meat. Yes, then she could comfort an inconsolable Shizuru- chan with sex and more sex. Unfortunately, she'd have to wait until her beloved had gotten considerably attached though.

She could bide her time. She would do anything to worm her way back into Shizuru's life, her butler be damned. "This is going to be good. Thank you, worthless mutt for volunteering your life as tribute to my unwavering cause," she said with a smirk.

A/N: Phew! As promised, here is the end of the next update. I noticed there were a few errors with formatting on the previous chapter, but if no one is confused then I'm just gonna leave it as is. For those who miss the old story, I'm sorry but the old chapters are gone now. I found that I have bettered the story and have grown in my voice as a writer I hope you will understand. Thank you again for being so patient with me. (Side note: I guess people don't come back to their stories often because I was assaulted with "welcome backs". I am very glad to be one of the few writers with such an amazing audience.) Oki doki, next update is in T- 2 weeks. Have an awesome weekend!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, so I messed up. Turns out numbers and I have a hard time getting along. I forgot the day I had first posted the story and then updated the next chapter the week after instead of two weeks later (follow?). Anyway, because I messed up I figured I'd just keep up with the weekly update for the story. Without further ado, onto chapter 3!

"When things are going like clockwork, you find yourself waiting for an alarm to ring"- Anonymous

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_Of Impulse and Fey_

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**A few weeks** had passed and the odd family fell into a new routine. It turned out that Natsuki was an early riser, even earlier than Shizuru. Therefore, in accommodation, Shizuru slept with the door open. This was how Natsuki was able to leave the too warm bed without disturbing the female human when the small alarm clock read five o'clock that morning.

As any other day, Natsuki found her way down to the kitchen where Reito would be found making breakfast. They greeted each other silently and Reito served her an early breakfast, cooled off ramen noodles with a healthy dosage of mayo. By six- fifteen, Shizuru moseyed over into the kitchen for her morning meal. She complained about her toast being too burnt or her eggs being too runny just to annoy her butler. He then threatened that he would poison her food the next morning out of agitation, but when she had finished her food, she gave him a big smack on the cheek and a friendly pat on the butt as a thank you as she always did.

The giant beast would stay with Reito until he finished with the dishes and then she would head back to the master bedroom. Shizuru would be fresh out of the shower and half way dressed by then. Natsuki leaped onto the bed to watch the human female choose her outfit for the day.

Natsuki was very impressed by this human female. Her tan tresses fell until almost midway down her back and armed with startling ruby eyes. Shizuru was a tad bit taller than she was, however, nothing that she could not overpower in a physical fight. If there was an occasion to lead to that that is. Today, Shizuru chose a violet dress suit that the wolf secretly enjoyed seeing the other woman wear. The color suited her very well. Natsuki rumbled in appreciation.

"Oh you like it too? Many of the other women I've been with thought that it was a nice color on me as well. I suppose it does look good on me…" Shizuru said absentmindedly while checking for wrinkles in the mirror. Natsuki heard herself growl in irritation before realizing she had. She could not place the feeling in her chest when Shizuru admitted to seeing multiple women and that they thought the same as she did in the human's choice of attire. Shizuru stopped to give her a puzzled look before going back to her buttons. After the taller woman dressed, she collected her work things by the front door, called out to Reito to have a nice day and that to expect her for dinner unless she called otherwise.

Natsuki would pad along beside her until Shizuru got to her car. Shizuru would give her a good scratch behind the ears and tell her to be a good girl for the day and not get into any trouble. The blue wolf watched Shizuru drive away before going back inside to wait at the door. Reito would leave the house soon after, claiming he was only going grocery shopping, although Natsuki's nose knew better. The young butler always came back with a variety of unfamiliar female scents clinging onto his clothing. When the human male's car rumbled speedily away Natsuki let out a huff of relief. Finally, with some time to herself, Natsuki would run hurriedly up the stairs, draw the curtains closed, and transform.

…

_Oh yes_ it felt so good every single time. It was like taking off a stuffy suit and finally being able to breathe and stretch out her long limbs comfortably. To Natsuki, it was one of the best feelings in the world. Completely nude, Natsuki took it upon herself to cover up her body in Shizuru's discarded silk robe. The touch of the fine material caused pleasant goosebumps on her flesh.

Today she crawled back into bed and hummed a little tune her mother used to sing her. It had taken a bit more strength than she anticipated infiltrating Shizuru's mind. The woman had stronger mental walls than _gariabiyean _steel. It was a mere miracle that Natsuki was able to slip her own name to the human female on her first night here. In fact, it was such a feat that Natsuki was still a bit tired from it. Moreover, it was not as though Natsuki could not just _tell _these humans her name in canine form, but it was the most unconventional way of doing it. Natsuki had seen and carefully studied the reactions of all the silly little humans she had encountered. None of them gave dogs' proper credit in terms of their intelligence, their loyalty aside.

In general, dogs are relatively smart but observed, as well as she, that playing dumb was much more favorable among humans. However, Natsuki supposed that she was pushing "natural" boundaries by unnaturally responding to _everything_ humans said around her. (Canines do understand much of what humans say, but do not respond to what does not immediately concern them.) Still, she had had a very good reason for doing so.

Natsuki needed to listen to everything. Any scrap of information was a precious as _Tererianh's_ jewels. As far as she knew, there was only one murderer left. She had not been successful in finding the last perpetrator so far, but all she had to do was wait and listen. Suddenly angry at the slow progress, she fisted her hands and grit her teeth before viciously punching a nearby pillow.

If she had waited several years to be this close to finally finish carrying out her revenge, she could live through several more to find and end the queen responsible for the genocide of her people.

…

A few hours later Reito returned with the groceries and a plethora of female scents. _Oh gods of Earth, this human male smells more and more like a female every day._ It was not until today that the butler began to get chatty. "I think I've found her Natsuki, the woman of my dreams." He sighed dreamily. Natsuki secretly rolled her eyes but listened faithfully nonetheless. "Even when I had been flirting with other women, she was always on my mind," he said while pulling out the contents of the brown paper bags onto the polished countertops. Reito had been so starry eyed that he danced and sang all around the kitchen while preparing lunch for them both. The male human had a pretty voice Natsuki concluded. "Oh, Shizuru called to say that she was coming back early today. She sounded a little miffed, if I say so myself. Must have been an awful day at work," he told Natsuki while making another roast beef sandwich.

Natsuki's ears twitched in interest, but gave no other sign of her internal concern. She knew that becoming too attached to these humans was futile since her time was limited. Natsuki knew that worry and misplaced sentiment would only get in the way when it was time to leave, so she was quick too furiously squash away the small gnat of concern. When she finished what she came here to do or had no new leads in finding the queen, Natsuki would up and leave. Never once looking back at the wonderful things she would be leaving behind.

…

I had returned home with a metaphorical dark cloud over my head. My mood had been so ugly at work that when I entered my personal office that morning my secretary, Yukino, meekly suggested that I return home while she straightened out the newly tangled mess of my corporation. As CEO of the company, sheer pride forbade me to leave my office and its problems to anyone else, even ones as capable as my secretary's. Pushing all else aside I worked for several hours nonstop (seven to be exact, I was told by my secretary later) until finally everything was set back into place.

It was then that I called Reito, tiredly informing him that I was coming home early. What an awful day. Rolling into the driveway, I was greeted by Natsuki who had been sitting at the foot of the front door. It did lift my spirits a little to see her patiently waiting for me. Slamming my car door shut, I did my best not to stomp my way into our home. I took a deep cleansing breath and pet Natsuki good-naturedly. Taking another deep breath, I strode inside.

…

"What happened today, Shizuru? I know that look," Reito asked as he placed a sandwich in front of me. "Someone hacked into both of my mainframes and my teradatabase. They planted a complicated virus that took me hours too even get the damn things to reboot. If it had just been that I suppose I would have been in a brighter mood, but since the idiotic thing was put into action last night, the company spy that planted it stole billions of dollars' worth of information on the new product line I've been working on," I said rubbing my temples, vainly trying to stave off the incoming migraine. "I found the company spy, some _child_ named Nagi, through his IP address. He used one of my computers too, the bastard. Anyway, I fired his ass and managed to squeeze back my data from my backup systems, and then filed a ginormous lawsuit against the _Teal Company_ to bury them in a hole forever. So you can expect a raise within the next few weeks."

My butler gave me his signature I-feel-sorry-for-you look when I took a wicked bite of my sandwich. "I know just the thing to cheer you up… well two things. I'll make sure to sweep up the dojo before you're finished changing," He replied as he turned on the stove to boil a kettle of water while opening my cabinet of assorted teas. "You know me too well," I said feeling the cloud lift a bit more. Natsuki had then walked over to me and rubbed herself against my leg. I had read an article stating that animals were sensitive to emotions and I figured she was trying to make me feel better. She rose to place her two gigantic front paws on my thigh, whining and slowly swaying her tail from side to side in unease. Chuckling, I scratched at her neck and swooped down to give her a quick peck on the mouth.

"Shizuru, that was gross."

"Oh c'mon Reito, I kissed you in my second year of working at Nine Tails, remember? You took a dare from Tate to eat all the worms at the bottom of the tequila bottles that day too."

"SHIZURU! Brew your own damn tea, I'm leaving," huffed the disgruntled butler who was turning an interesting shade of puce.

"Oh Reito you know I'm only teasing…"

We bickered at each other a little longer never noticing that Natsuki stood stunned sometime after in the kitchen.

…

After lunch, I quickly changed and went down to the basement where I kept my home dojo. I desperately needed to release all the mounds of tension that weighed heavily on my shoulders. While warming up, Natsuki came curiously to the basement and seated herself in a spare corner of the room. After another half-hour of warm ups to clear my mind, I finally deemed me ready for my precious naginata. Carefully, I tied my hair into a ponytail with the black ribbon that I kept attached with my beloved weapon of choice. It was a necessity turned habit that made me keep that ribbon on my naginata. I always seemed to forget to get something to pull my hair back when I practiced since I usually wore my hair loose.

Natsuki came into high alert, growling in a decidedly unfriendly manner, when she saw the blade. "Don't worry Natsuki, I'm only here to practice. But if you don't like it, you are more than welcome to leave," I said none too kindly. No one ever gets between my naginata-jutsu and me. Turning to position myself, I saw that Natsuki looked completely affronted at my hard tone, but remained in the room nonetheless.

I allowed myself to start slow. My paced breathing and rehearsed forms a familiar dance. Languidly flowing from one position to another, I gradually let the world fall away from my conscious mind. I became one with my instrument of destruction.

Little by little, I allowed everything that I held inside flow out in faster and jerkier motions. The anger and frustration from today went out with a mere _whoosh_ of my blade. The anxiety and anguish when I thought of my parents went out with the stab that I made into the nothingness of air. My naginata made everything proportionate, small and miniscule.

The session must have lasted for a couple hours at least, but I didn't care because I felt so contented. At the end of it all, I laid down in a sweaty heap. As my labored breathing circulated through my chest my spectator padded her way over to me. To be honest, I forgot she was here. Natsuki cautiously rested her head on my stomach and I ran my free hand sluggishly through her thick fur. "I need a shower," I said as my warm body shivered against my cooling sweat. Pushing myself up, I dutifully cleaned off my blade and placed both my ribbon and my naginata in their glass case before marching upstairs.

…

Natsuki had never seen such a thing in all her years on Earth. She had never seen a human handle a weapon so proficiently. Natsuki had quickly become entranced at her show of skill and confidence. The blue wolf was currently listening to the water patter on the tiled floor of her human's shower as she washed herself. Wait, _her_ human? The gigantic hound had never referred to any human as _hers_ before. Natsuki shifted uncertainly on the comforter. She was getting much too comfortable these days. She would have to tread these waters more carefully, even if she started to like these pair of humans. Moving to burrow her head under the covers, Natsuki would never admit out aloud that Shizuru's lips were sinfully soft against her muzzle.

…

Days had passed and the stupid kiss on her muzzle had yet to cease! Shizuru was quite fond of it, and it was beginning to make Natsuki a bit edgy. Shizuru liked to call it her "staple of love". Really, all Natsuki wanted to do was console the taller woman the way she had seen other dogs do. _They_ never received a kiss from their beautiful human female in return for their efforts. They certainly were not kissed _every day_.

Reito, clearly disgusted, had tried to scold Shizuru out of it, but to no avail. "She doesn't like it Shizuru. Leave her alone," he said for the umpteenth time. "She does too! Natsuki has yet to wiggle away or snap at me. When she does I will stop," Shizuru would always reply. Truthfully, Natsuki had not done either of those things because Shizuru was too swift and unpredictable. It was irritating to Natsuki to know that she could not calculate the tawny female's movements.

It most definitely had nothing to do with the fact that deep down she liked them.

…

The next day had gone like clockwork. Their usual schedule followed to the "T". Natsuki had pulled on Shizuru's robe and crawled back into bed. She had a poor amount of sleep the evening before because she had been prowling the night in search of clues to find the last of the traitorous royal family. No such luck yet, but all in good time.

"Good things come to those who wait," she recited her mother's words before falling into a peaceful sleep.

…

It had barely hit eleven o'clock when I returned home this morning. Since the incident with my databases and such grouped most of my meetings together, I was able to get them all done in one fell swoop. I knew Reito was out and about at this time and wouldn't be back until maybe one o'clock. I didn't feel the need to rush him home anyway. I was very happy to have heard of his newest conquest. Maybe he found the lady to tie him down finally.

Natsuki had yet to greet me when I entered the house, so I figured she was frolicking around in the backyard. I entered into the parlor as stealthily as I could. I wanted just a moment of peace and quiet, a rare commodity now.

Feeling centered, I made my way to the back of the house finding no Natsuki in the yard. I strained my ears in hopes of catching the sound of scuffling paws or otherwise in the house to find none. Fearing the worst, I tried to center myself again. "Now let's be reasonable Shizuru," I muttered to myself, "Where could she be?" She had to be asleep if she had not come down to see me.

I had yet to witness the beast sleep and now was the perfect opportunity. I could even take pictures! The devil in me convinced me to creep up the stairs and into my bedroom. What I found lying in my bed was certainly not something I was ready to encounter.

…

"Who are you?" I demanded icily.

The woman with long navy blue hair merely cuddled deeper into my comforter as if she was familiarly pleased to hear my voice. It couldn't have been _her._ Her haired seemed too dark a shade of blue. Quite honestly, it was such a brilliant shade of cobalt my fingers itched to caress the luscious locks. Her body was facing the wall opposite of my direction, which put me under the impression that perhaps it _was_ the person I had been dreading to find in my bed again. _By all means, she could have dyed her hair a different color._

Still, if it had been Marguerite, she would have gotten up by now, and by the looks of the steady rise and fall of the stranger's shoulders this woman was fast asleep. And with a touch of uneasy amusement, I noticed that she was also wearing my robe. Looking back at the situation, I realize that many people in my position would have called the police immediately, but the picturesque way she slept kept me from doing so. Ironically, I felt like the intruder nearly giving into the instinct of leaving quietly so as to not to disturb her slumber.

The champagne color of my robe bought out the pinkish hue of her skin and her feet peeked out cutely from underneath the covers. She took in a breathy sigh as she curled in closer to my pillow and, if I were to assume correctly by the tiny raise of her cheek, smiled. Perhaps it was Marguerite after all. I took a bold step further into my room, making the floorboards creak on purpose. "Who are you?" I demanded once more.

She bolted upright which nearly caused her to tumble to the floor. It looked as if she were trying to attempt an escape through the window before realizing it was bolted shut by the way her body tensed toward its direction. Instead, she sat rigidly on the edge of the bed, still not facing me, most likely trying to find a way out of the situation. Heavy silence ensued between us. Neither of us daring to move an inch in case that single movement could help or hinder her escape. "My patience is wearing thin. Who _are _you?"

"I… I am an intruder," her low voice answered coolly. I would have laughed at that answer if it hadn't been for the unexpected tingles down my spine at the sound of the sultry voice. "I must go," she said, although gave no indication of moving. "Yes, you should, but I'd like to know who you are first," I stated while widening my stance to brace myself against any sudden attacks.

"Why is that?"

"So I have a name and a face to report to the police later."

Another long pause snuck between us, she had yet to move, and I had yet to check my temper. Whoever this stunning woman was, she was the cause of my dog's disappearance and I was not happy about that prospect. Never mind how unnerving it was to think that this stranger broke into my home and was oh so casually lying in my bed. "They call me Kuga," she said as she rose to stand. "Fine. Great. Now let me have a look at your face so I have something to tell the sketch artist. And before you even _think_ about leaving just yet, you had better fucking tell me where my dog is. And _maybe_ I won't kill you instead," I barked. I was so sick of this game. The woman stiffed, insulted, and whipped around to bark back at me when she saw the look on my face.

_Those eyes,…it couldn't be._

I stumbled backward as though I had been physically hit, recognition slapping me across the face. I felt my mouth open and close multiple times before it click closed. My teeth were gritting painfully. The only set of unearthly, bright green eyes I had ever seen belonged to my canine. It was then that even the most absurd detail made perfect sense. How Natsuki only consumed human food without getting sick, how her eyes were too ethereal, and how she really understood everything that was said around her. As farfetched as it seemed to me, it felt like it was the only undeniable truth about my wolf. "Kuga" seemed to be at a loss for words as well. She stood still, but for the repeated clenching and unclenching of her hands. It was the only telling sign of her nervousness that I had figured out everything.

_My humongous beast was a shape shifter._

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A/N: Okay! So I hope this chapter was exciting. Please forgive me if there are any errors, I will do my best to fix them in future chapters. If you want a preview for the next chapter check out my tumblr (link in my bio) :) Have a wonderful weekend! Next chapter will be out next Friday!


	4. Chapter 4

"Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." – Sherlock Holmes

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_Of Impulse and Fey_

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**"So, tell** me this again _really_ slowly," I said steepling my fingers together as I sat on my bed. Natsuki huffed in annoyance, but complied.

"I come from a different planet in the Otome system very far from here. Our people had heard of this mainly aqua planet from our cousins, the Amazons. No, they were not merely a mythological race," she quickly commented at my look of incredulity. "My kind was a proud warrior race, just like them, of what you know as "shape shifters". We actually shift into our "Children", which is a complicated version of our ancestors who choose us specifically to carry their abilities on. My child is called Duran, the ancestor of ice.

Though we were a planet of warriors, we were virtually a peaceful planet with all our neighbors, except one; _Vuxgurg, _the forbidden planet, whose inhabitants were all underhanded scoundrels making coin through the galactic black markets. The forbidden planet was ruled by a monarchy system, like ours. Their queen at the time had been a wicked woman named Tomoe. The vile creature was always jealous of our kind because of our peace and prosperity. She was sick of it really, and attacked us when we were most vulnerable, mating season."

She stopped here to seat herself beside me on the bed. Natsuki had kept my robe on, but the silk kept sliding off her bare shoulders because of her slightly smaller frame. I made sure to glue my eyes either on the floor, my hands, or directly into her own eyes because I was sure that if I looked anywhere else I'd lose my head with desire. This was not the moment for such things. Still, even though I was sure I could convince her to share my bed, I felt like that would spoil things between us. Natsuki didn't feel like a challenge or a conquest, I had greater respect for her than that, which was quite frightening.

"She and her people tore up the mothers first, as fragile as they were in their pregnant states, they were the easiest to kill. Later, I watched thousands upon thousands of my comrades' fall beside me in battle. I watched blades cut messily into their beings. I saw them mutilated for the sake of sport by the enemy. I heard them cry out in agony and suddenly fall silent.

When the battle was over only a handful of us survived. None of the destruction struck true to my heart until I found my little sister while wading through the bloody carnage. Her small body pooled in so much blood. Her once golden halo of hair was slick with chunks of reeking flesh and stained red with the substance that course through our veins. Her name was Alyssa. She was to be our next queen. The young of our planet were always chosen to lead our kingdom because we felt that the heart of a child is honest and pure. They know greater mercy than those who have seen battle."

As she grew sullen once more, I felt the icy cavern of my chest warm, my body crying out to console this beautiful extraterrestrial.

"The remainder of us searched high and low for the last of the culprits responsible for the genocide of my kind. It was most disappointing to find that queen Tomoe and a few royal family members had gone off radar. However, as we waited for them, select members slipped up in their hiding and we were ready to catch them. Now the only one left is the brazen queen herself, the coward is near though. I can feel it," she finished off with a bright fire blazing in her amazing emerald orbs.

"What happened to the others in your group?" I asked.

"Dead. They died off fighting against the other family members only leaving me."

Her shoulders had looked as if the very walls of my house were upon them. The sadness and anger made her eyes sing a song of great sorrow that she tried to hide from everyone, and at times, herself. Yet, despite all this show of emotion, I couldn't help the niggling feeling that she still wore a heavy mask. I had the feeling that there were many sides to her that she was careful not to show.

With no other way to voice my sympathy, I laid my hand atop hers, squeezing gently until she brought those wonderful eyes to level with mine.

I had never known more than fleeting affection for other women, but the sucking feeling in my heart made sure to tell me that this was not the case.

"I know you'll find her and avenge your people," I said quietly before allowing my hand to hesitantly retreat. Somehow, I knew that a lingering touch would be most unwelcome. Sitting back to lean on my hands I blew up my bangs and rolled my eyes to the ceiling.

"Now, how do I break this to Reito?"

…

For as long as Reito and I have known each other, it is rather clear to say that we have a _very_ logical head on our shoulders, so I knew that explaining the situation to him would be particularly hairy. Still, I did my best to try anyway. He had just come home from grocery shopping when I told him, Natsuki standing in the doorway with an air of aloofness to mask the uncertainty she was feeling. I could see she was uncomfortable by the occasional miniscule twitch of her left hand. "She's a _what?" _Reito asked, whirling toward Natsuki's direction with wide eyes. "You're joking, there is no _way_ you can _shape shift_, you're human!" He looked back and forth between us a few times to assure himself that this was some sick prank a new lover and I schemed together before realizing that I was completely serious.

"Okay… if everything you say is true, let's have at it then. Show us," he haughtily demanded the newfound extraterrestrial. Natsuki had given him such a poisonous look I thought she was going to kill him for asking such a thing. I had asked of her to do the same, although a lot more gently. She had told me that shifting in front of others was as intimate as sex and only close family and partners were allowed to witness the change. "Reito, let's not get too brash," I pleaded, trying to quell both disbelief and rage permeating from both parties. "'_Too brash?'_" You can't be serious Shizuru. You _believe_ the garbage this woman is spouting?" Natsuki clenched her fists at this, but quietly stood her ground, knowing how precarious the circumstance was. She and I both knew that if I could convince him, she could avoid having to shift in front of us. At my silence, an outraged Reito stormed off to his bedroom like a teenage daughter. After a quick mental tug of war of whether to go after him or not, I hurried after. Reaching his bedroom, I closed the door behind me; I wasn't sure how well Natsuki could hear through walls.

"Shizuru," he whispered harshly to me, obviously thinking the same about her hearing, "How can you accept this willingly? Did she give you some kind of proof that you've forgotten to share with me? She could be lying for all we know. It could be one of _her_ schemes to crawl back from the depths of ugly hell and back into your life!"

I sat beside him unsure of how to describe how I was feeling about this whole thing. "Reito, I just can't shake the feeling that she's telling the truth. If I didn't, I would be hell bent at calling the police and trying to find my precious dog," I said while staring down at my wringing hands. "You whole heartedly believe her. This is complete bullshit," he growled angrily as he turned to stand away from me. "Reito, please don't think that I have been so careless as to not think that _she _didn't cross my mind. I very nearly thought it was Marguerite. Listen; to appeal to your logic, let's say what she says is true. We cannot simply demand her to do something that makes her uncomfortable and/or angry because she is not someone from this planet, let alone galaxy. Who knows what she is actually capable of; I know you and I are well equipped when it comes to defending ourselves against danger, but Reito, _she's not human!_" I whispered hoarsely.

His shoulders drooped slightly at how accurately I had assessed the situation.

"Please, Reito, go back outside and just look. Look at her eyes," I pleaded desperately. "We can't ask such a thing from her. Please, use your senses and look."

A tense silence flooded uneasily between us. After a few moments, his shoulders sagged and he sighed heavily. Another two ticks went by and he slowly turned back to face me; however, he still did not meet my eyes. "Fine, Shizuru, have it your way," he stated quietly. My heart broke a little; I couldn't lose a good friend over something so trivial as my dog being an alien. "Well, at least she doesn't look like an Ood."

When I saw his mouth quirk up a little, I knew we would be okay soon enough.

…

Back in the kitchen, Reito and I looked on quizzically at her rigid form. While we were away, it seemed that Natsuki was fighting an internal battle of her own. To be fair, Reito later gave her more credit at her tenacity at being proven right by staying in the house while we were gone. Her long cobalt blue hair cascaded down her spine. We were all rooted to our spots in the room, neither of us willing to break the silence, when Natsuki reluctantly spun around. When her eyes flashed in my direction, I could not help but marvel at her beauty. It was such a pure and unadulterated allure that I could find no fault in her. I began to pick out all the flaws I found in myself; this surprising me to say the least because it had been eons since I felt so self- conscious, I didn't let that show on my face though. Snapping back into focus, I noticed that Reito had been squinting hard at Natsuki. He was trying to make the connections. She obligingly stood completely still, so as not to ruin my faithful butler's concentration. I could see the gears in his mind grind away at the information, but always getting caught by stubborn logic. As he was about to give up, Natsuki took in a particularly large inhale and exhale.

As she let out her breath, she began to shrink at an alarming rate into my robe. I felt rather than saw my eyes grow wide and I nearly leapt at the chance to catch her as she fell had it not been for the beginnings of blue fur on her porcelain skin. Her frame crumpled into the canine form my friend and I had been accustomed to with an awful crunching sound and small grunts of discomfort. Seconds later, she was entirely enveloped in my silk robe and I meekly lifted it off to find her bold eyes staring expectantly at me. There was no special white light. No clap of ominous thunder. No special effects of any kind. This had been a true transformation from an otherworldly alien life force. "I realized that earthlings had yet to have any encounters of another kind," the massive beast informed us. Speechless, Reito lent heavily on the marble island while I, well, felt my knees buckle and watched the world go dark.

…

"You're lucky I had a few more of those perfume salts left when you were obsessed with corsets."

"Yes I am," I replied whilst absently rubbing a bag of ice on the small lump at the side of my head. Natsuki couldn't catch me as I fell and Reito couldn't find the strength to move as I was told later. Natsuki had decided to remain in her canine form. It was a lot more reassuring than seeing her as a human again.

We were all situated on the living room couch, if only because we weren't quite sure of what to do with ourselves. "I think I'm going to take the day off tomorrow," I stated quietly. Reito looked at me with approval. I was sure he didn't want to be alone with Natsuki anymore now that he believed the truth. With the last half hour spent in silence sprinkled with small yawns and sleepy eyes, Reito announced that he was going to bed. "I think we are all in need of a bit of sleep now," I said getting up. It wasn't until I reached my bedroom that I vaguely noticed the soft clicks of Natsuki's nails on the hardwood floor behind me. "Um, I believe that I should show you to the extra bedroom." Natsuki looked puzzled. "Wouldn't you want your own bedroom to sleep in? You could have the whole room to yourself for, you know, privacy?"

"Any privacy I had has now been stripped away," she said in a dull tone.

"Are you sure you wouldn't want your own bedroom?" I asked almost hysterically. It wasn't that I minded her difference, but now I knew how gorgeous she was. It didn't seem right to be sleeping with someone who could pass for a god. Who was to know how I would react when I needed some "alone time" so desperately, and hadn't looked to others for casual sex because I was so keen at getting home on time to keep Natsuki's schedule regular. That all aside to the fact that Reito and I invaded something so precious to her.

It wasn't fair to either of us.

Natsuki narrowed her eyes and gauged my reasoning for the worst. "It wasn't my intention to be staying here longer than necessary anyway, _human,_" she snarled, revealing sharp teeth. "If you wish to stay in separate rooms because you're uncomfortable with what I am is no skin off my nose." I helplessly watched her stalk off in the opposite direction of the hallway where the spare bedrooms were located. I desperately wanted to call out to her to tell her that that was not the case at all. I wanted to tell her that it…could very well be that I was in love with her. I wanted to say that I'm only scared to be in the same room with her because I was afraid she would pick out all the faults I see in myself. My brain continued to pound against my skull, and I simply retired to my bed. Perhaps I was being too shallow anyway, love at first sight? Give me a break.

…

"What would humans know anyway? They are foolish and narrow minded," Natsuki muttered bitterly while shifting back to her original form. _I was being generous by showing them something that is a part of my kind, something _private_, only for them to toss me aside like a freak._ A small, barely audible knock came at her door. When she opened it, Natsuki saw Shizuru's retreating silhouette back to her personal bedroom. As Natsuki started to close the door, a silk robe slid off the doorknob to the floor. As she bent to pick it up she felt her ire fade and allowed her mind to clear. "They're scared children too me. These sheltered, pitiful children who never once stepped outside to play, never knowing the dangers and wonders of the real universe," she said while going to sit at the edge of her bed.

Thinking back to Shizuru, Natsuki wondered at the tan head's mind. It was like a fortress, everything in but never out. When Shizuru suggested for Natsuki to sleep in another room, it was devastating beyond words because the taller woman had accepted her so freely in the beginning. It wasn't as if she could read her thoughts, and that woman could definitely play poker. (Although Natsuki didn't know exactly what a card game had to do with impassive expressions.) "What would humans know anyway?" She repeated.

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I thank you for all your kind words and help, they assist me in becoming a much better writer for you. This story is can also be found on Adultfanfiction and Archiveofourown. I hope you have a wonderful Friday and an awesome weekend. Next chapter coming up next Friday.


	5. Chapter 5

"But life has a habit of taking those you want closest and throwing them across oceans."

-Anonymous

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_Of Impulse and Fey_

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**Walking on eggshells **is the only proper idiom to explain the next few weeks. I stayed at work longer just to stay out of the house, unfortunately leaving a fuming Reito alone with Natsuki. (I got many angry text messages about my irresponsibility during my more important meetings.) Still, by the time August came around, our original routine was back into order with a few minor changes. Natsuki would still greet Reito every morning, in her canine self, and he would provide her with a more robust breakfast. I'd tumble in, have my usual friendly spat about Reito's cooking, and then be off to take my shower. Natsuki would go outside to the backyard instead of following me up to my room.

Natsuki had grown cold and brusque toward me now. This left me empty and yet filled to brim with despair. There were no more friendly kisses, no more pats on head, and more small hours of us lounging on the couch while I ran my fingers through her fur. Whenever she passed me, I would do my best not to flinch. I had no idea why I would do the action, it just started to happen. Reito noticed the new relationship between Natsuki and me and asked several times what had happened between us since the night of the unveiling. Not wanting to talk about it just yet, I claimed oh-so-innocently that I didn't know what he was talking about and that I was only giving her the space and respect that I figured she wanted. Knowing me so well, he let the subject drop for the time being. He knew that when I was ready to talk about it he would be the first to know. Besides, he was asking me with half his head on. Reito was too busy worrying about what he was going to get Chikako, his current lady friend, for her birthday.

Reito had called me ahead of time to let me know that he would be out this evening. I assumed he was tired of being alone with Natsuki, so he swung by Chikako's for an impromptu date. I'm sure the date was also inspired with the fact that Chikako was going back to university soon, and they wouldn't be able to spend as much time with each other. I am happy for him, I really am, but I was nervous of being alone in the house with Natsuki. Our relationship hadn't bettered after the night I shooed her out of my room. I had just come home and parked out back. I was presently sitting in my car pondering about how I could sneak into the house without Natsuki coming down to see me.

"What the hell am I thinking?" I sputtered, outraged at myself for thing of such a thing.

"I will _not_ allow her to make me feel like an intruder in my own home any longer." Marching up the back porch, I stomped my feet for good measure. Daring Natsuki to come down and meet me with her cold emerald eyes. When I opened the door, there seemed to be no one in the house. "Huh, well so much for looking like a bigger idiot," I muttered. Although it had not been a particularly busy work month, I was truly exhausted. I wanted to calm the waters between us, but with the withering looks I had been receiving as of late, I hadn't the heart. Slumping in the deep recesses of my couch, I gently massaged my temples. This was more of a mindless habit than to actually relieve the headache that began to develop there. Sighing, I sat back onto my shoulder blades and waited for the full dark of the evening to come and wash the room in pure moonlight. I didn't feel like turning on the artificial electric light yet. My mood lower than the floor beneath my feet, I wanted to wallow in the darkness for a little while.

When darkness finally came, I slipped off my pinch-y shoes, and brought my knees up to my chest with deliberate movements. I wrapped my arms around my knees, and let my head rest on the tops of them. I had forgotten how soothing it was to the soul to watch the moon in its entire glory filter through the gigantic windows. Suddenly nostalgic, I began to hum a soft tune my mother would sing to me often. "Why are you sitting alone in the dark, human?" I gasped and whirled around to see Natsuki, in her humanesque form, half hidden in the shadows. _Still as gorgeous as ever,_ I thought glumly. "I was relaxing."

"That is an odd way to relax."

"Why do you say that?"

"Sitting alone in the dark and singing to yourself seems more like wallowing to me."

_Damn._

"I see," I stated curtly as I unwound myself from the couch. "I shall be in my room if you need anything. Reito should be home within the hour," I said, soundly annoyed with the fact that I was so easy to read. "I didn't mean anything by it, human," Natsuki rasped. Something was off. I could feel it as I stepped toward her to reach the stairs. "What's wrong?" I asked wary of what may come next. "Why would anything be wrong?" She stated stiffly with her eyes flashing in defiance. Narrowing my eyes, I tried to look over her body that she adamantly hid in the shadows. Not being able to see anything, I backpedaled to turn on a nearby lamp.

A small resounding _pat_ of blood hit the floor from her dripping left hand. Her beautiful navy hair matted itself against a nasty congealing wound on her chest and left arm; later I figured she did this to hide the damage from on lookers. "What happened?" I demanded, rushing forward to catch her as the last of her strength failed her. My eyes were searching all over her excessively pale face. She managed a final wheezy breath before I felt her dead weight.

The thought of calling an ambulance extinguished itself immediately. I thought about calling Reito, but decided against it for I did not want to spoil his date. I could handle this myself. Quickly laying her on the ground, I hurried to grab the medical kit we held in a small closet underneath the stairs. After spending some time cleaning off the wound, I came to find that it was a terrible slash from her right shoulder to her left shoulder and curving itself down her left arm until about the elbow. It gushed like the dickens and I checked for the telling bright red hue blood takes when flowing from an artery. Sure enough, whoever had done this slashed their way very well into the subclavian arteries. _That's if she has any_. I had spent some time as a nurse before I ran off to be a call girl. I had a fascination for mending inflictions and healing pain.

Panicking at the rate of her blood loss, I barely registered that her laceration was somehow reconfiguring itself right before my eyes._ This must have to do with her alien self._ Anyway, I dutifully continued to clean off the wound while it mended itself. Once the bleeding staved off, I reached for a salve and froze. What did I know about Natsuki's alien anatomy? Even though she seems human enough, she was, in fact, not human. _Hell, she could be _allergic_ to the salve for all I know! _Natsuki groaned and I applied the salve before dressing the wound without giving it more thought. Pulling back to take a good look at my handy work, I gave myself a mental pat on the back for not primarily focusing on the softness of Natsuki's breast. (I did have to strip her naked from the waist up to deal with the infliction.) Wanting her to be comfortable and warm, I hauled her up the stairs in a bridal scoop. "I'm not so sure I like the fact that you fit perfectly in my arms," I said gently to Natsuki.

She was unbearably cold from the shock of blood- or whatever the substance- loss. Quickly reaching my room, I did my best to accommodate her by piling heaps upon heaps of blankets over her. After doing so, I gave myself another quick mental pat for not pitching us down the stairs. When I was seventy percent sure she wouldn't' die on me, I went back downstairs to clean up the aftermath. If I had stayed a fraction of a second longer, I would have heard Natsuki weakly calling out for me.

Reito scolded me for not calling him that night. Partly because he was worried about Natsuki and partly because he felt that he could dress wounds better than I could. Bloody bastard just wanted to cop a feel. Natsuki had yet to wake up from her comatose state for the past two weeks. Reito and I took turns watching over her. Reito also took it upon himself to be my nurse, making sure I ate and slept despite everything. By the third week, I resolved to stay at home full time. Kami knew I wasn't really paying much attention to work anyway. I managed to coerce Reito to go and take Chikako to the hot spring spa that I booked for them too. He was so busy helping Natsuki and me that he wouldn't have managed to get Chikako a decent enough present on time.

I was waiting for my teakettle to boil at the moment. I was so nervous about leaving Natsuki's side that Reito came home with those baby walkie-talkies one night. I had it beside me right now. Rubbing the kinks out of my neck, I clipped the walkie to the elastic of my shorts and nursed my tea while heading back upstairs. Sitting in my usual spot next to the bed, I placed my cup on the bed stand before interlacing my finger with hers. I found that Natsuki rested better when in contact with others. I suspected that she felt less lonely and afraid. Over the first couple of days, she twitched a lot in her sleep until I figured this out. Somewhere along the line of holding her hand and resting my head on my free arm on the comforter, I fell asleep. When I woke up it seemed like she was beginning to wake up herself.

"Water," she rasped. I obliged, trying to keep my trembling fingers under control. I was starting to fear the worst for her health. Before I could ask if she needed anything else, she already slipped back under. Sighing dejectedly, I simply replaced the warm wet cloth on her forehead.

Natsuki was sitting upright in my bed when I brought her breakfast the following morning. I brought up a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup, so as not to upset her stomach with anything too rich. She ate in silence. Between the clinking of her spoon going from the bowl to her mouth, I remembered a peculiar question I had thought of when caring for her. "Why did Jack's daughter tell him that you were under a spell by the fey?" Pausing in her repetitious movements, she slid her gaze toward me, as if she just noticed I was there. When she processed my question, she put down her spoon and blushed awkwardly. "I spoke to her by accident. I…enjoy the company of children. Therefore, to make sense of the situation for her, I assimilated the truth to something she already believed in. Simple enough, really." I made a small "O" shape on my lips before she went back to her soup. This time a comfortable quiet fell over us.

I let my mind shift over several thought trains. As badly as I wanted to find out what happened to her that night three weeks ago, I wanted her to tell me when she was good and ready. I wanted her to trust me. So, to occupy myself, I let my mind go wherever it wanted. I was thinking about Chikako and Reito when another question hit me full force. "When is your birthday? Well, what day do you think it is? I'm not sure if your people had a calendar." This time she sheepishly set her spoon down in her now empty bowl. "August 15 from what I could tell," she said not quite looking at me, "Your planet's calendar is not that much different from ours, except for the fact that we have thirty days of February and no leap years." _Weren't we in August already?_ I hadn't been keeping track of the days since Natsuki fell into a coma.

Curious, I went to my desk to seek out my pocket book. "That was last week!" _Why hadn't I asked her this before? Oh right, because I thought she was a dog and then she stopped speaking to me._ "So it seems, our bodies carry an innate calendar," Natsuki replied coolly. "Well?" I asked expectantly. "Well?" She repeated, puzzled. "Isn't there something your people do for birthdays? Something special?" I asked while sitting back down. "There is nothing you can do here that I did when I was back home," the suddenly cold beauty allowed. It was a touchy subject I guessed. "Well," I tried again, "is there something I _can_ do for you then?" Her mouth opened immediately to most likely to tell me that there was nothing I could do when she stopped. She took her time before answering, "There is one small thing I do wish for."

"Anything," I responded with sincerity.

"I know that your company has access to sensitive information. I wish for your help in finding Tomoe."

I was not expecting that. "Erm," I said shifting in my seat that became a little uncomfortable just now, "I would love to." Helping her avenge her people on the last of the cretins who ruined her life was fine with me. The only revelation that bothered me was that she would probably leave me once the task was fulfilled. Natsuki eyed me strangely before becoming satisfied that I was honest with my answer. We fell back into a companionable silence after I set her bowl aside so she could rest peacefully.

_The human looks rather pretty with her eyes glazed over in thought, _thought Natsuki as she carefully stared at Shizuru's glassy red irises. Natsuki was surprised that Shizuru had not asked her what had occurred the other night before her coma. She wondered why. Gently probing into her thoughts, Natsuki slid around the edges of Shizuru's mind to keep from being noticed. It wasn't as if that would do any good anyhow, her mental walls were still stubbornly fortified. _Everything in but never out, how troublesome._ Although, she could not _see _what was going on in her head, she could _hear_ what was going on. It didn't take too much energy to do so, and so far Natsuki hadn't checked to see if her mental walls were sound proofed. Visualizing that she was pressing her ear against seemingly titanium walls, Natsuki was pleasantly surprised to find that Shizuru's walls echoed.

She was singing that song again, the song that Natsuki had heard the human humming when she walked into the house that evening three weeks ago. The bluenette listened in, blissfully hearing the ruby eyed woman's head voice. As she listened in, Natsuki felt for any cracks along the walls. Even the smallest nick could provide more information about the taller earthling. She found one. From the little scuff along the wall Natsuki had inflicted when trying to give Shizuru her name, the emerald-eyed extraterrestrial felt fear and sadness seep through. The fierce emotion of concern lanced right through her making her jerk back from the privacy of the female human's mind palace. "What are you thinking about, human?" Shizuru blinked rapidly before giving Natsuki an apologetic smile for being zoned out for so long. The human had a dazzling smile. "Sorry, I was thinking about my parents."

Natsuki wasn't one to pry, nor to be curious, but to hell with it, "Oh? Where are they?"

"I'm not sure. They disappeared a little over three years ago now. Just after I moved here."

"Three years? And you never heard a word from them?"

"Not a single one, although, I keep hoping that I will someday."

The human entered the realm of her thoughts once more with a slightly pained expression on her perfect features. _Three years ago is it?_ _That is as long as it has been since the death of my planet._ Looking back over, Natsuki felt something tug at her heart. She wanted nothing more than to gather the fragile human into her arms and cradle her until all the pain floated away. _Is this what sympathy feels like?_ Not trusting her next actions if this went on any longer, the bluenette cleared her throat rather loudly. The taller woman smiled again in apology before politely asking, "Is there anything else I can get you?" Natsuki shook her head and watched the taller woman clean up the bed stand before leaving the room, with eyes clearly begging for solitude. Another emotion shot through Natsuki, this time the urge to protect her human, but let it go. Shizuru was, as it were, not her human.

Shizuru was not hers to protect.

It had been a long time since I had told anyone else about my parents. The dull, hollow ache was still resounding deep within my chest and abdomen. I had never known any other type of torturous pain. I was currently stirring a mix of cake batter for my wolf-turned-human while mindlessly staring out the window. I wanted Natsuki to experience a human celebration for birthdays even though hers had already passed. This was also a great excuse to keep my mind off my parents. Gently, I placed the glass bowl aside on the counter top and took in a deep breath. Now was not the time to dwell on negative thoughts. I had Natsuki's spontaneous birthday celebration to do, even if it would never compare to what she did back home. It wasn't until I was about to place the chocolate cake into the pre-heated that my head came back around. It was a _chocolate_ cake! Despite Natsuki not being an actual dog didn't mean that she didn't carry the same fatal reaction to cacao like a dog would, not to mention her alien self. What did I know about Natsuki's body? (Never mind the fact that I knew her upper torso was just the same as mine expect sinfully softer.) Chewing on my lip, I closed the oven door and set the cake batter on the island in my kitchen.

I wanted to ask her if she could eat chocolate, but I also wanted to keep this a small surprise. "I suppose I'll take my chances," I said opening the oven again and throwing the round tin in there. _If she can't eat it then Reito and I will have cake for a week. I make a damn good chocolate raspberry cake, and I will _not_ let such a masterpiece go to waste!_ Nodding my head in silent affirmation I turned around and yelped in alarm. "Yes, I can eat chocolate," She said with an aggravating smirk. "Do you always have to sneak up on me like that?" I asked half-embarrassed from the situation and half-exasperated at the fact that she was so light on her feet. "No, but it's fun to watch your behavior at being startled. Besides, I was enjoying the view." I must have squeaked in at the blatant compliment because she was now looking at me with another infuriating smirk, "It is not as if I have never seen your body before, human." And she was right; I thought while feeling my face begin flame. She had seen me naked so many times before. My wolf also told me that everyone on her planet was classified as a female, so it was no wonder that she was attracted to females, but it was a shock that she found _me_ attractive, a human nonetheless!

I was so giddy at this revelation that I completely forgot that she was still healing. Natsuki slowly limped further into the kitchen and inhaled deeply. "It smells very good in here human. I almost thought that the male earthling was back home," she stated while gingerly taking a seat on one of the stools for the island. I was cross between taking the commendation and poking her non too gently at her laceration. She implied that I couldn't cook. _To be fair, she has never actually seen my cook…_ "Thank you," I said opting to play it cool. I didn't want to upset her and I didn't want to hurt her either. I still had no idea what kind of strength she was capable of, wounded or not. We stayed in another good natured silence, it seemed to the right thing to do lately, whilst I was preparing the Belgian chocolate and raspberry icing for the cake. "How did you know I was worried about whether you could eat chocolate or not?" I inquired when the oven signaled me that the cake was ready.

"Although I couldn't read your face, your body language helped me to figure out what was on your mind. When I saw the chocolate batter, it only confirmed what I thought was the problem."

"So it's not like you could read minds, eh, Sherlock?" I said with a small laugh. How more ridiculous could this get if she had such an ability? I would have to keep my thoughts guarded and secure all the time, how exhausting. "Well," she stated and felt my smile fall, "our people never spoke, not verbally anyway; we were of a hive mind. Since my people and the humans are quite similar, it isn't really hard to connect to your minds." I simply stared at her, trying to process this new bit of information, quickly coming back to focus when some icing fell onto my hand. Licking it off, I barely registered that her eyes flashed with an emotion I had never seen from her. Before I could name it, it was already long gone. Shaking it off, I questioned as cautiously as I could, "Have you tried to 'connect' to my mind?"

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A/N: Alrighty! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'm sorry if there are typos/ continuity errors (I just realized I made a huge mistake in choosing the wrong last names for Shizuru and Natsuki ^^; I really hope ya'll hardcore fans can forgive me because I can't go back now). That aside, I hope you all have a fantastic weekend ahead, and for those of you in school, FIGHTING! Next chapter next Friday :)


	6. Chapter 6

"Do not pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a difficult one."

-Bruce Lee

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_Of Impulse and Fey_

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Just like Natsuki, I had issues with those who felt like it was their right to invade my privacy. I had boundaries. Noticing my tone, she narrowed her eyes at me. "Yes," Natsuki said, testing the waters, "I have. But your mental walls are beyond fortified. I've never seen such strong walls, it's a miracle you get anything in there in the first place." Albeit being glad to know that my mental walls were sound, I felt my fury bubble to the surface. What right did this _woman_ think she had to waltz right into my head without permission? Frowning, I opened my mouth to give her a piece of my mind, pun fully intended, when she spoke again. "How lonely is it in your head?" the blue haired goddess asked me wistfully. "My people, as I said, were a hive mind. There was always a delightful buzz inside my head, at times it could get annoying, but it was there. It was my life.

It was like standing in the center of a crowded plaza. Several voices mixed together, none of them the same, running around in circles inside you; they were my family. It wasn't until I heard those voices scream in agony that I realized how important they were to me. And it wasn't until those voices ceased to exist altogether that I finally realized that my life would never return to the pleasant state it once was. Now all that is left is a never-ending silence inside my mind, like the rest of you humans. How do you live?" She lifted her face to look directly into mine, heartbreaking eyes pleading for an answer. I had nothing to say. I had absolutely no idea how to answer that. She straightened swiftly most likely embarrassed at her sudden outburst. Taking a bite from the cake I set in front of her, she returned to what I could only describe as normal. The heaviest mask she carried lifted off merely seconds ago returned to her face, blocking anything else that threatened to slip through. All of her vulnerability, gone. My ire began to fade; I had no idea what kind of suffering she was feeling because she went out of her way to seem strong. A wise man once said: "The worst part about being strong is that no one ever asks if you're okay". The last of her kind, _I wonder what it would be like if I were the last human of earth and everything I knew was destroyed._

"That is the reason why you can't dream by the way. It's because your walls are so tough that not even you allow yourself to dream. You're the worst case I've ever come across." So, she knew I had trouble dreaming, _wonderful._ "Yeah, you already mentioned it," I deadpanned. I couldn't remain angry with her because she wasn't used to certain human ethical reasoning, but I still felt a little residual heat at being called a worst case scenario. Thinking on her question a bit more, I scrounged around for some semblance of an answer that I could give her. "I don't know," I said taking a seat across from her, "I suppose that humans wouldn't like all the noise in our heads. We prefer to have the solitude and peace within ourselves. Still, that could be only because we've never experienced a hive mind like you have before." Natsuki looked at me with such utter befuddlement that I felt a little corner of my mouth lift despite myself. She looked really cute like that. My dog-turned-alien let the topic go, unable to comprehend the logic. "When will the male human come ho-…," she caught herself by choking on a breadcrumb, "When will the male human return?" she amended.

Twisting myself to lean back on both my elbows, I did my best to hide my elation that Natsuki thought of this place as "home". "When the weekend is over I expect. That is unless he arranges to stay longer at the spa, we have the whole house to ourselves until Monday." My companion grunted noncommittally in response and went back to devouring the last morsel of cake on her plate. My wolf loved the cake so much that she nearly finished half of it. I was pretty impressed with her appetite, and glad that she enjoyed it. When we had gone upstairs to prepare for bed that evening, I was none the wiser of who had been lurking in my backyard.

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"Tch, I can't see a damn thing." Marguerite growled as she hid in her usual spot between thick bushes. All she could see was her 'Zuru-chan with another woman. It irritated her that her lover was so flighty, but no matter, Shizuru would _always_ belong to her. Always. It was too bad that 'Zuru-chan was mindful enough to draw the blinds on the glass sliding doors that led to the porch. It skewed her vision, and right now she wanted to know who the hell was the other broad. Ah, again, it didn't matter. The ruby-eyed lovely never stayed with the other women for more than a night or so anyway. Deciding to head back home, a stupid twig broke under her foot causing her to jump and rustle the gigantic bushes that her fair maiden kept in her backyard. _Damn bushes, _she was going to have a talk about removing them when the time was right. Shizuru's light came on, and Tomoe snaked further into the said shrubbery to keep from being caught.

Slim fingers gripped the ledge that blocked Tomoe's view of the woman who looked out into the yard. Tomoe knew that these weren't the hands of her fated bride to be, they weren't as long or as tapered. Miffed that the pathetic bimbo thought she could protect her Shizuru by scoping out the noise for her, Marguerite had half a mind to jump out of the shadows, slay her final competitor, and fly into the night with her beautiful Shizuru in her arms. Alas, it wasn't time yet. The bitch was thorough though, after a few tense minutes the hands left their post on the ledge to shut the window and draw yet another set of blinds. Those were so going to go.

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I had cozied myself up in one of the many spare bedrooms in my home when Natsuki's voice came over the baby walk-talkie. "Ah…human, could you please report to my room?" Her voice was so smooth that I thought I was already dreaming. _Report?_ I sat up and frowned at her choice of words. _What did she think I was, her subordinate?_ I was sorely tempted to deny her "request" when she spoke over the walkie again. "My wounds are bleeding through the dressing." Grudgingly, yet surprisingly quickly, I rose from my warm bed and hurried toward my room. (We decided that she stay in my bedroom because it was the closest room to the stairs.) To disgruntle me further, when I reached her room her dressings were a pristine white. "It would be best if we stayed in the same room together tonight," the extraterrestrial stated with steady and level eyes. If she hadn't said it with such a straight face I would have thought she was scared. Just as I was about to tease her about it she continued, "I heard rustling from the bushes beneath this window. I have felt like we were being watched and this now confirmed my suspicions. It would be best that the both of us stayed in the same room in case our intruder would like to try to take us on."

I nodded jerkily in agreement as I felt a small shiver run down my spine. I went back out into the hall to open the linen closet in search of extra blankets and pillows. Returning, I went around to cozy myself on the chaise lounge I kept in my room. It was plush enough to sleep on for a night or so. As I began to position myself in ways I thought I would be most comfortable I noticed Natsuki staring at me in disbelief. "What?" I asked innocently while settling in a nice position. "Did you think that I would not be considerate enough to allow you to sleep in your own bed, human?"

"No," I said slightly shocked, "of course not."

"Then why are you making yourself at home on your couch?"

"Well, I….well what do you want me to do? I'm not going to kick you off the bed."

She held my gaze with an air that was supposed to make me feel stupid, and although I'll never admit it out loud, it worked. "This bed is big enough for the both of us _tontzae_," she said as she scooched over one side to make room for me. "What does tonzaei mean?" I questioned, snuggling into the warm spot of the bed that Natsuki had just finished occupying. "It's pronounced _tontzae_. It basically translates to a softer, playful form of idiot." I huffed in annoyance, but was too content in rolling around Natsuki's warmth and scent to care. When we had fallen asleep that night I felt like I had my puppy all over again. The familiarity of the situation gave me the best sleep I had had in ages

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The following day had me extremely worried. Natsuki's wound was not healing properly or as quickly as I thought it would. Considering how her body managed to mend itself before my eyes on the day of the incident, the healing process now was by no means up to the same caliber as before. My blunette was currently trying to sleep off the pain. I dutifully stayed by her side on the chair that I kept beside my bed stand because she suddenly flared up with a fever and groaned in discomfort in the small hours of the morning. I turned my head to see the chaise lounge we had been fighting about the previous evening. Running the scene again in my head had me smile a little. She did care, at least to some degree. I thought that with all the time we have spent together Natsuki didn't really care about Reito and me, only our hospitality. Still, her wound bothered me.

I carefully did my best not to wake her when I started to stand over her to inspect the infliction further. It only looked like a mere scratch now, but was inflamed with an angry red color I was sure that rubbing a feather against it would cause her agony. I wanted to ask her to what happened the other night, maybe it could be the answer why her wounds weren't healing, but I wanted her full trust. I wanted her to call Reito and me by our proper names, not "male human" or "female human". I wanted her to love me. I jolted at the realization and swiftly put it in a place of my mind where I wouldn't have to see it again. It's funny what your mind can conjure up sometimes. It was then that I recalled our conversation in the kitchen yesterday. Natsuki had the gall to try and run rampant inside my head. My thoughts are private; they were not meant for show. I know I am being childish about this, but she really has no right. Natsuki took in a shaky breath causing me to look to her in alarm. She continued to sleep though, which was a relief because I had no idea how to soothe her pain.

As I continued to stare at her I felt a small _click_ of understanding lock into place. Natsuki can connect to minds. Somehow, some way, she was able to slip her name into my subconscious mind. I didn't come up with it myself! I had mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I was happy that I wasn't as bad a case of "mental block" as I thought, but on the other, I didn't have the creativity to come up with a suitable name for her on my own. This was beginning to be way more that I originally bargained for. Taking a cleansing breath, I centered my thoughts and walked straight out of the room. Maybe a good session with my naginata would help.

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_The pretty earthling seems a little restless today, _thought Natsuki as she painfully sat up from a third unsuccessful attempt at a nap. She had noticed that Shizuru was gone, and from the distinct sound of movement from a room below, was in her exercise room. A loud grumble emitted from her stomach causing her to sigh in defeat, "Yeah, yeah, I hear you." Not wanting to bother the human, she winced her way downstairs to prepare a meal. It wasn't until she began to rummage for food did she realize that she had no idea _what_ to eat. The ingredients were foreign, and the objects used in the kitchen were beyond her comprehension. In her entire journey down on earth, she had not once cooked a meal for herself. Hiding as a dog had gotten her out of having to do so. Wielding a heavy circular object she had seen Reito use multiple times before, she grabbed some odd things from the fridge. How hard could this possibly be when the pretty human had managed it a day before?

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_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

I rushed upstairs at the sound of the smoke alarm, slipping on the wooden floor with my sweaty feet. I was nearly finished with my session when the alarm went off. As I neared, the kitchen was flooded with a sinister, choking cloud of smoke that crawled into the back of my throat and stung my eyes. Hurriedly, I grabbed the fire extinguisher from the little closest under the stairs (everything is in there, isn't it?). From what I could see, whatever was on the stove caught fire and I quickly doused it with the contents of the canister. Without skipping a beat, I proceeded to fling open every possible opening to ventilate the house. Waving away the immediate dark air in front of me, a silhouette of a crumpled heap began to take the shape of Natsuki from the corner of my eye. I immediately hauled her unconscious body into the hall where the air was a bit clearer while trying to contain my fit of coughs. In the better light I could see that she was not okay. I checked her vitals as I warily took note of barely scab. It was a brighter and even more furious shade of red that it had been earlier that I was sure she passed out from the pain. Her pulse was erratic and I knew that if I couldn't slow it down soon she would have a heart attack.

I needed to cool off the wound first. Rushing back to the kitchen, I grabbed the oven towel that miraculously escaped the flames, dampened it, and grabbed a handful of ice from the freezer. The chilly pack in my hand, I laid it on her scabs. A few seconds later she came back around. By now most of the smoke had dissipated and she groggily opened her eyes. "Does anything else hurt?" I asked focusing on her wounds. Natsuki took in a breath to speak but choked on the air. She was too weak to sit up on her own, so to help, I strategically sat behind her. I sat back on my heels and draped her across my front so as to keep the icy towel on her cuts. Now that she was lucid, I thought she would wince in displeasure at the towel, but to my surprise, sighed in relief. We stayed in that position for a couple minutes, the smoke clinging stubbornly to the walls before floating away into the windows. By her silence, I thought she passed out again. "I'm fine. It's just the wounds that hurt."

I jumped a little because I was convinced she was unconscious.

"Do you need to stay here for a little while longer? Or do you think we can get up back up into the room where you can be comfortable?" I asked near her ear. I would be lying if I said that this position didn't dredge up my pent up desire for my extraterrestrial, and at the most inopportune moment too. Her warmth was coming back, and her weight pressing up against me had me ruthlessly assorting my thoughts into their proper places. I needed her off me as quickly as possible. It has been an excessively long time and this situation was not romantic. Unfortunately, she shivered in response causing my arousal to needlessly heighten. "I believe I can make it to bed. Can you?" she answered somewhat smugly. If she were anyone else and this were a good time, I would have mauled her right there. Nevertheless, the come on was surprising, and this was a completely unideal scene. So, instead, I regretfully pouted and drew her up to stand. Slowly we crept up the stairs and I laid her on the bed, to which she instantly fell into a deep sleep.

When I had finished tucking her in, I proceeded to unstrap the towel of ice from her. I had taped it down to her because she said it felt nice. The ice had melted quite a bit, and the remaining droplets were sliding sensuously over her left breast, before gathering into the t-shirt I lent her, creating a small dark spot of moisture. I wasn't aware of my rapt attention of the sight until my frostbitten fingers informed me that I had been grasping the towel too tightly. Shaking my head to clear, I looked over the wound and gasped. She was completely healed! That was impossible. Then again, it is impossible for a human. A thin silver like scar was the only indication of the hit. I gently began to prod at the scar and found that it had truly healed. My hands drew up the blankets up to Natsuki's chin mechanically before going back downstairs.

I was definitely going to need some tea now.

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The sweet aroma of my strongest green tea filled my nostrils and calmed most of my nerves. The sip of the warm evergreen liquid chased away the rest of my apprehensions and settled me further. Taking another quick sip, I set my cup down and stretched my arms over head. _What the hell just happened?_ I surveyed the damage of my once spotless kitchen. My stove was most obviously the source of the flames with its charred black stovetops. Something I imagine should have been a skillet had a neat hole in its center and was dripping a batter of some kind from the handle onto the floor. There was a scent in the air that I couldn't quite place, but sickening all the same. Shuffling through the battlefield, I saw Reito's gigantic tub of mayonnaise on its side next to one of the open windows. I should I have known, Natsuki inhaled the stuff. With a quick shudder of revulsion, I started to pick up some of the vegetables (at least I'm hoping that's what they were) off the floor when an object hit my head with a resounding _clack! _Rubbing the offended area, I looked up at the ceiling. At least five spoons and four knives were stuck onto the ceiling by what looked an awful like peanut butter. "I just can't win can I?" I sighed.

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A/N: *Slam= dramatic entrance* I...*pant*...made it on time...I'm so glad. Honestly guys I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to post today. Thank goodness I was able to pull through. I just started class again and I'm running around like a headless chicken for supplies and parking spots. I barely had time to churn this out. (So I'm really sorry if it's poor quality.) I am determined to continue the updates every Friday, but they may come out later in the evening- at least from where I am. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this installment of "Of Impulse and Fey". I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!


	7. Chapter 7

"_A loss of control is always the source of fear. It is also, however, always the source of change."- James Frey_

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_Of Impulse and Fey_

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**Considering the outstanding** damage Natsuki made to my beloved kitchen, it didn't take too long to clean up, the ceiling notwithstanding. I called for a replacement stove since there was no way to salvage the poor thing and went back upstairs to tend to my accident-prone puppy. Carrying a bowl of microwaved soup, I thought about her miraculous recovery as I went up. Her wound wasn't even close to closing completely for the past two days. I had done all I could and it still wasn't enough. I tried to find out as much as I could about both human and her knowledge of extraterrestrial medicine but to no avail, and then suddenly a towel of ice water mends everything in a heartbeat? This was utterly absurd. And yet, it felt so _stupidly_ simple. As if that should have been the answer all along. Why?

Ice barely has any medicinal properties. It either brings down swelling or promotes numbness, it does not- as far I know- have any magical healing characteristics. What did ice have to do with anything? What did it have to do with Natsuki? And why in the world was she in my kitchen? Underneath it all, there had to be a logical explanation, and I was determined to find out.

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I ended up having to come back down to the kitchen a third time. Natsuki woke up with a ravaging hunger that the soup I brought her earlier didn't stand a chance. I managed to make two sub sandwiches out of the ingredients left in my kitchen before marching back upstairs. Boy, were my calves getting tired. I sat on my chaise lounge while she ate. She looked better. Her sharp green eyes glittered healthily and color began to surge into her lips and cheeks. _All because of ice_, I still wasn't sure how to feel about that. I was happy Natsuki was recovering, but irritated that somethings so…_plain_ could cause such an impact. It honestly made me feel inadequate. I suppose that I may be being too hard on myself, she is alien, but I felt that I should have known _remotely_ that ice was the key. There was something niggling in the back of my memory.

"You look very deep in thought, _tontzae_."

I jolted out of my reverie blinking my eyes in rapid succession to focus in the present world. "Erm, yes, sorry," I replied, fidgeting awkwardly in my seat. She eyed my suspiciously before returning to polish off her meal. I was getting agitated, and my legs begged me to pace about the room to find the answers to dumb questions. Glancing at Natsuki for a moment, I gave in. _There had to be something… _Natsuki watched me pace about the room, most likely trying to figure out what was wrong with me, but she graciously kept her thoughts to herself. I had gone about doing this for a couple of minutes when I stopped and asked her accusingly, "Why didn't you ask me to make you something?" She met my eyes squarely before answering, "I heard you downstairs and thought that it would have been best to leave you alone."

"Why do you say that?"

"You only go downstairs when you're upset, angry, or anxious."

_Either she can read me like a book, or Reito confided a lot of information in her when she was inconspicuously a dog._ My agitation merely increased at this sudden prospect. Dropping the subject altogether, I continued to pace about the room. There had to be something that was staring at me right in the bloody face. I'm a brilliant girl. I should _know_ this. Okay, what did Natsuki and the kitchen _not _have in common? _The skills to be in the kitchen at all, _I chuckled at my own joke drawing a raised eyebrow from my companion in response. _Let's try looking at this from another angle._ What did Natsuki and ice have in common? I stopped and stared at her peculiarly. "Yes, human?" she asked guardedly. "You…" I tried to say, but my mouth didn't know how to form the words I wanted to come out. There was an uncomfortable pause when my mind and mouth were struggling to cooperate and she shuffled awkwardly in the comforters. If it weren't for the fact that I was trying so desperately to find an answer I would have made a small victory smirk. I, Shizuru Viola, made Natsuki Kuga, an alien from another planet, uncomfortable for once.

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The female _tontzae_ was staring at her so intently Natsuki had no idea what to do with herself. It was as if the human were trying to bore holes into her soul with those wine colored eyes. _"Yes, human?"_ She demanded again, thoroughly perturbed. "…I could have sworn…," the sandy haired human trailed off again. "Please have a full sentence thought out before you speak. I've heard it makes communicating much easier for all parties involved." Natsuki saw Shizuru's frown at her snarky comment, but the silence ensued. _Now she's looking at me much more intensely,_ Natsuki thought. Huffing a breath in annoyance, the extraterrestrial rolled her eyes upward to the ceiling. "Spare me ancestors from this _tontzae_," she muttered. "What did you say?" The human snapped in surprise, making her voice sound harsher than she intended. Natsuki curled her upper lip into a snarl instinctively at the none-too-gentle tone. "No, really, what did you say?" Shizuru repeated, a tad more softly but no less demanding. _If it weren't for the fact that she was attractive and intriguing I would have gouged those pretty red eyes out of her head a long time ago._ "'Spare me ancest-'"

"Shh, shh. Ancestors. _Ancestors…_" Natsuki gazed warily at the restless human as she paced around for the third time. What did her ancestors have to do with what was running around the human's funny little head? The _tontzae_ went on mumbling "ancestors" while tossing her dusky tan tresses away from her face. _Such a pretty shade for the human female,_ she thought forgetting her irritation for a second or two. "_I got it!"_ The earthling exclaimed whirling around. "Your ancestors!" Natsuki only looked to her with more confusion. "What about them?" she asked uncertainly. The pretty human's face was glowing with such pride it was hard to look away. The flush of her cheeks and bright smile was captivating. "Ice! Your ancestor is Duran, isn't it?" Shizuru ran over to the bed excitedly before crawling atop Natsuki bringing her face close enough for Natsuki to be intoxicated by her sweet scent. "You told me that your child Duran was the ancestor of ice!"

"Human, as much as I am glad we've graduated to more complete sentences, the point you're trying to make is still fragmented." Natsuki's pride squashed away the sense of unease she was feeling that their current positions. "Don't you see? This is why your wound healed so quickly; it was because I placed ice on it! Clearly that has something to do with your child." Momentarily stunned by the human's logic, Natsuki was briefly relieved from registering her uncomfortable position. "Oh yes, I suppose that does make sense," she remarked thoughtfully. The _tontzae_ giggled happily at her huge discovery before rolling off the bluenette to lay by her side contentedly. Her face then fell slightly. "Wait a minute… if ice can heal you, then does that mean fire would mortally wound you?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Is that why your scabs flared up in the kitchen?" Shizuru asked quietly, as if she were trespassing into Natsuki's personal life again. This bit of information wasn't too intimate to share, and what where would the harm be when the knowledge could be useful to the both of them in the future? Natsuki nodded curtly in answer. "Oh," the human sighed breathily causing Natsuki's ears to perk up with interest. There was a small sound of rustling by her side when Natsuki felt Shizuru's cold hesitant fingers brushing softly against the fading scar of her right arm. The foreigner swallowed thickly at the touch. Goosebumps began to form all along her body, and a small pleasant shimmy wracked through her insides. _It must be near mating season. That would explain why it took longer for me to heal on my own._ Looking down at the pale slender hand whose fingers started to lazily caress her skin, Natsuki speculated that was why she had yet to push the semi-unwanted appendage away. She needed to avoid the pretty _tontzae_ from now until her urges pass or they would both suffer the dire consequences.

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"Woman, can you not see that I'm struggling here?" Reito wheezed under his breath. He was currently hauling his heavy luggage up the steps whilst I was watching, quite amused. "How was the trip?" I asked lazily breathing in my cigarette. "As great as your weekend was I imagine, got any more on you?" Reito questioned as he began to pat my pockets for my well-hidden Marlboro package. We both quit smoking when we left _Nine Tails_, but there were some occasions when the itch needed a scratch. He joined me on the tasteful grey bench that rested on my front porch. A quiet wind blew and intertwined our smoke together making me smile._ I guess this goes to show me that we're birds of a feather._ "What happened with you and Chikako at the spring?" I inquired. He sighed before stamping out his cigarette stub with the heel of his shoe. It seems like Chikako rejected his advances. "We had an argument. We were talking about her leaving to school next month, and I suggested that I could give her rides to and from school until she learned how to drive. She took that out of context and was- and I quote- 'enraged to know that I would impede on her newfound freedom and control her by forcing her to only get transportation through me.' That was the first night of the trip and the rest of the week we were stepping on each other's toes. I seriously thought about leaving her ass behind, no pun intended," he uttered that last bit broodily.

I felt a vein near my temple throb. Who did this girl think she was, insulting his kindness and using his words against him in that manner? "I'm surprised you didn't," I stated coolly, but he fully understood that I was displeased with his new girlfriend and was subliminally soothing his bruised pride. He smiled in return. "No, Shizuru, I stayed with her because… I think we may have a future together." I looked over at him quizzically. It wasn't that I had never heard him say that before, but he said it as though he really meant it this time. "Alright," I replied, letting the subject wisp away with my smoke for now. He needed to sort out his feelings. Then again, he did extend the trip for the weekend. If he wanted more help with Chikako, he would give me more details and ask for advice. "By the way, where's Natsuki?" He asked looking around. I paused midway in breathing in the last puff from my cigarette, "She's… investigating. She will be back home for dinner, which by the way will be take out." He watched me stamp out my cigarette on the floor in mild bewilderment. "Here, let me help you bring in your bags." Reito knew me long enough to know when something was a private matter. I usually made discreet gestures to nudge him into a quiet corner.

He took in the heaviest bag and used his foot to shut the door. We stood in the parlor when I spilled my guts. After recounting everything that happened within the past week, I was pacing around fretfully _again._ He stood there patiently throughout my whole spiel of the goings-on between the ice alien and me. "So, you haven't asked about what happened that night? Honestly, being the mother hen that you are, I thought you would've forced it out of her already," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Still," he continued, "you haven't told me what exactly she was investigating. Does it have to do with what she told us of her home planet?" I grabbed his carry-on from the floor where I had placed it and started down the hall toward his room. "Yes it is. She asked for my help as well, as a birthday present. She's looking into more leads that would narrow the search as much as possible. She bolted out the door after breakfast. Natsuki's been a lot more irritable lately and I have no idea why."

"She has a birthday!?" Reito nearly shouted.

We placed his bags by the door and sat at the edge of his bed. His room was a calming blue; it was such a nice color I nearly forgot we were conversing. "Yes, I baked her my famous chocolate raspberry cake. Before she ruined my kitchen of course. There's still a bit left in the fridge." I sighed and stretched my arms overhead. A low groan of satisfaction escaped my lips, and much to my surprise, Reito squirmed next to me. Reito was quick to explain that he had a troublesome pair of blue balls because he wasn't able to take Chikako to bed and was expecting a fair amount. I quickly gave my apologies and fled the room. However there was something I had to say before I left, "Reito, I believe that we're being watched. Natsuki brought it to my attention a couple days ago. Whether it is because someone noticed Natsuki or because it's _her_ I cannot tell at this time. We need to be even more careful from here on out." He nodded in affirmation and I left his room.

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Natsuki needed air. Her companion fever was getting the best of her. If she had lingered in the house a second longer, she may have mauled the poor, unsuspecting _tontzae_. It wasn't as if Shizuru couldn't take care of herself, but Natsuki could easily overpower her to do something they may both regret. No, it wasn't safe to be in the same vicinity of the beautiful, vulnerable, witty… The blunette shook her head to clear. _The female human, _she finished snappily. The daylight was fading quickly and Natsuki welcomed the sudden drop in temperature, the chilling air running through her thick canine fur. She chose to walk around as a dog because it made it easier to move around without being noticed. Even though she would have loved to stay outside for the evening, it wouldn't have been wise after her last ambush. The queen's goons could be anywhere, and she was determined not to bring any of them home where they could harm her humans. The alien began her trudge back to the house. Trying to keep of mind off the mind numbing fever and the _tontzae_, she let her mind wander elsewhere.

In truth she was trying to find what she could about the whereabouts of Tomoe; however, she was more interested in the backyard intruder from a few nights before. The evidence was, quite literally, in her backyard. She checked the backyard before leaving that morning. There were clear signs that someone had been watching them from beneath the window, but it still wasn't a good vantage point to see anything within the room. It was also clear by the looks of the molded bush that the same person had sat there countless times before. Natsuki shivered in disgust. Shizuru had no idea of the extent of her allure. _Then again, she does have a vague idea, _Natsuki reminisced grudgingly the last time Shizuru wore her purple suit. Natsuki didn't know why that still angered her even though it was such a long time ago now. The extraterrestrial just "hmphed" and quickly padded up the porch steps when she returned to the place she reluctantly considered home.

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Natsuki always detested the horrible stench of cigarette smoke. If she absolutely had to describe the acrid scent, it would be a mixture of gravel dust and strong odor from a human's armpit. The foul smell assaulted her senses as soon as she reached the porch. Choking and gagging, she entered Shizuru's home feverish, sexually frustrated, and thoroughly annoyed. Quickly running up to her own room, Natsuki slammed the door shut and morphed out of her canine suit, something she couldn't do fast enough, to throw open the nearest window. _Air, air, air!_ her mind screamed. The blue haired alien gasped for breath, heaving heaps of pure unadulterated air into her lungs. Once her nostrils and lungs cleared, she wondered why cigarette smoke affected her so much. Perhaps it had to do with the burning smoke itself because she and fire did not get on. Her scars began to twinge as she thought about fire. Either way, she still hated the humans filthy pass time. Not but a few seconds later Natsuki's ears twitched at the sound of light and fast footsteps rushing to her door. Shizuru did not disappoint by poking her head in a moment later. "Natsuki are y-…"

"Stay away from me _human_. I cannot stand the stink of that tobacco smoke."

Shizuru blinked in surprise, not quite comprehending what was being said due to the sudden nakedness that was Natsuki. Natsuki watched in fascination at the fazes of emotion that passed rapidly through ruby eyes and the heightened color of her human's cheeks while fighting very hard to look anywhere else by Natsuki's emerald orbs. When the meaning of the extraterrestrials words were finally processed, Shizuru unconsciously sniffed at her sleeve. She gave a sheepish grin and took many steps back with her palms out apologetically. Natsuki watched her _tontzae_ step so far back that her back tapped the door. "Ah…sorry, I quit some time ago, but under certain occasions I d-"

"I don't care for your reasons human, just don't do it again." Natsuki interrupted again.

The blunette saw Shizuru frown unhappily at the statement though she wisely chose not to comment. "I see, well, I wanted to know if you were alright."

"I'm fine," Natsuki snapped, "Do not smoke in my presence again."

This time the beautiful female human squared her shoulders to stand at her full height, "You were not present at the time. Furthermore, this is _my _home, I can do as I so please."

"If this will continually be an issue than shall I take my leave?" Natsuki challenged.

Natsuki could tell that the question left the human stunned speechless. In all honesty, Natsuki could see the valid points that the little human was making, but was too far gone in discontent and discomfort to care. In fact, if the alien bothered to look a little closer it seemed like the human was emotionally distressed and hurt. Natsuki's words hung heavily in the space between them. Natsuki completely unaware of the suffocation the taller woman was feeling. After a time, a suddenly solemn eyed Shizuru opened her mouth. "If that is what you wish, Reito is back from his trip. Please take what you can to travel comfortably, he will help you pack." Natsuki couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her little human had lost her fighting spirit so unexpectedly.

As Shizuru turned and opened the door, Natsuki's mind went into overdrive and before she knew it pinned her little human to the door. Natsuki inhaled the scent of lavender and tea underlying the coarse smoke and found it quite…pleasant. Drawing in another whiff of the soothing scent, Natsuki burrowed her head into the crook of Shizuru's neck. Unknowingly wanting to loosen the little _tontzae's_ stiff shoulders, Natsuki slid her arms around Shizuru's middle. When Shizuru still didn't relax, Natsuki gently spun her around to catch sight of the most beautifully perplexed eyes she had ever seen.

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A/N: I really tried to get this up at an earlier time T^T I'm sorry. I hope you liked this next installment of "Of Impulse and Fey". The next update will come next Friday. (On that note: FYI the smexy stuff will be edited **_out_ **due to the guidelines posted on Fanfiction. However, over on Adult fanfiction and Archive of our Own the full version of the next chapter will be up.) Oki doki, have a fantastic weekend! :D


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Okay, I would like to clear something up before we get on with the story. Yes, I have finally updated the story. No, I have not abandoned it. The reason why this chapter took longer to be uploaded is because I'm not comfortable writing smut. (I think you'll find out soon enough that this chapter may leave you high and dry.) So, I wanted to baby this update a little more. I want you all to know that I am aware that writers so often drop out of the sky, there are many stories I wish were finished, but honestly, I thought you all would have a little more faith in me. I updated regularly up until this chapter, and I will continue to do so after this chapter, it was just difficult for me to write.

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"_If you let your body take care of you, it will become your greatest ally and trusted partner."_

_-Deeprak Chopra_

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_Of Impulse and Fey_

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**I didn't know**what to think. First, she was being so much more cold, cruel, and callous, then she was unexpectedly being sweet, gentle, and….almost careful. When she spun me around, I could tell that something wasn't right. That this all had to do with something that Natsuki could not entirely control. Her eyes were dilated and her body was a touch too warm, but invitingly so. I felt my blood begin to hum at our closeness, feeling hyperaware of the way my clothes rubbed against my skin as she pressed her body against mine a little more. If I could get my head straight, I could have sworn that I caught a faint minty, sugary scent. Before I could question what was going on, she leant in hesitantly, her eyes flicking over to mine, asking for permission. Not hesitating, I brought my lips to hers, brushing, testing. My heart thudded thickly against my rib cage, and I was keenly aware that this gorgeous extraterrestrial heard every beat loud and clear.

We stayed there for a long time it seemed, the warmth of our lips connecting our souls loosely. When I brought my arms to encircle her neck, Natsuki brought her right hand up to the back of my head. Prodding carefully, she deepened the kiss. I let her lead. I was reeling in a mixture of familiar and new sensations. God, she is so intoxicating. I don't what came over me, but as her mouth worked on mine I playfully bit her lower lip. Her eyes sparked with a newfound flame that caused desire to pool in my stomach. It was as if an internal switch flicked on and set free to the beast inside.

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She shoved me against the door while pressing her body flush with mine. I squeaked in alarm, but it quickly turned into a gargled scream when she roughly bit into my neck. My hands tangled in her hair both trying to hold on and push her off. She merely bit harder, grabbing hold of my wrists to make sure I couldn't shove her away. It hurt immensely, but in combination with all these sensations, I could only allow myself to be swept up by the abrupt tornado. The door rattled as she tore from my neck and started tearing off my clothes, this animal desperate for more skin. I heard my buttons fall helplessly to the floor when she succeeded in tearing my violet silk blouse from my person, and it was one of my favorite shirts might I add. My bra had become an offensive obstruction for Natsuki and quickly disposed of it with sharp teeth and strong hands. "Ahn," I breathed, the cool air perking my dark nipples. I caught the satisfactory glint in her eyes.

Her hands traveled down to hike up my black pencil skirt before grabbing behind my knees. Jerking me up to wrap my legs around her core, I could feel the heat from my swollen being slide against her warm skin and hard muscle. My wolf sucked in a breath, reveling in the feeling for a brief moment, then swooped down to suckle a nipple in her mouth. "Ooh," I arched my back trying to force more of my breast into her greedy mouth all the while grinding my hips against her stomach wantonly. Natsuki switched sides and brought us to the floor. The alien ice queen was on all fours over me, wrenching my wrists over my head, totally trapping me. Unwrapping my legs from her torso, I writhed underneath her in protest when she came up from my abused nipple with a light _smack_, but it didn't last long because she then crushed her lips onto mine again. I had no idea that this was a distraction for what was to come next. Letting go of my left wrist, her hand went down to cup my sex roughly earning a surprised groan from my mouth and into hers. In a fast motion, Natsuki yanked down the fabric, tearing it in the process, and unapologetically shoved two fingers into my semi- wet core.

"Ah-!" I screamed but her kiss swallowed it whole. Rhythmically, she began to pound into me and I brought my hips up unconsciously to bring them in deeper. I felt a strong tickling in my lower stomach; I was almost sure that I could feel my essence begin to drip onto the floor. My nails from my unattended hand raked at her back as I clung on for dear life. Finally, out of breath, she pulled back from our kiss to watch the twin heads of pleasure and pain fly across my face when her finger grazed against the phantom spot inside me that shot sparks of pleasure through me. "N-natsuki," I whimpered, "Oh.." Without warning, she withdrew her fingers. I grunted in displeasure, wiggling my hips to press myself against the muscular thigh between mine. My breath hitched as she smiled mischievously at my actions. We kept our eyes locked on each other as I continued to rub against her bare leg. "Ah-hah, nnm-ah," I felt my face flame as her emerald orbs bore into mine. I was ashamed that I would stoop this low for contact, but then she kissed my neck affectionately. Just that small action alone was enough encouragement to keep going.

Changing pace I gave my hips a languid, sensuous roll, earning a low groan in response."Sh-Shizuru…," My blue haired angel stuttered in my ear. The sound of my name on her lips would have sent me to cloud nine if she hadn't stubbornly removed her leg. She moved down my body suckling here and there, my sensitivity impossibly heightened, to level her head with my glistening lips. She slowly brought her mouth closer to me, her warm breath tickling my inner thighs, and I shivered in anticipation. With her eyes still on mine her voice, an octave lower from lust, asked, "Are you ready?"

She didn't give me a chance to respond.

"NATSUKI!" My head snapped back from pleasure when her tongue swirled expertly over my clit before giving it a hearty suck. Her ministrations caused me to jerk my hips and fist my hands in her hair, trying to bring more of her to me, but her strong forearm kept me steady and she resisted my hands in a way that I could only imagine hurt. Switching tactics, Natsuki then glided her tongue inside me. It felt cool and long. _Oh Kami-sama_. I felt like I was falling. My body was shaking from the onslaught of sudden pleasure coursing through me, and just as I felt my climax looming over me again…her hungry mouth was gone. Instead, I felt her paw to hastily remove my skirt, panting with want. "Sit up," she commanded me and I weakly moved to comply. I can't even describe the feeling of when our cores pressed together. "Oh god," she murmured as she held me closer. "I-..oooh Natsuki, I need…," my sentence couldn't finish because I gave into the urge to roll my hips forward for more contact. I felt the tears forming in my eyes. I blushed hotly when the wet sounds of my actions reached my ears. "Ungh Sh-mmph Ah- Shizuru," her hands gripped my sides tightly when I rolled against her again despite myself. "Ah hah ah ah oh-!" I couldn't stop and soon neither could she. _So close…_ "D-don't stop! M-mo…more ahn," I whispered as I clamped my legs around her a hard as I could.

Holding back no longer, our pace quickened until we were both near our ends. "Mmahh!" I screamed when she bit into my neck roughly again. Still, that was all I needed to go over, "Natsuki…," I breathed. As I went lax, I felt her come on me as well, cool and thick. It surprised me a little when I felt it slip inside me a little causing me to shiver a bit. I came back to the present when she nuzzled my neck before planting a soft kiss on my swollen lips. She came, she saw, and she devastatingly conquered.

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We laid on the floor as I basked in my afterglow. I knew that this was entirely spontaneous, and though I'm all for one night stands, if this turned out to be another one I couldn't even begin to tell myself how hurt I would be. I heard her rustle beside and I held my breath, waiting for those inevitable words, "I'm sorry, but…" Instead, she did something uncharacteristic. Natsuki leant over me, putting her weight on my right side to softly caress my cheek. I closed my eyes and let my head nuzzle into it just enough to plant a light kiss on her palm, taking as much pleasure from such an innocent touch.

"Would you like to continue?"

I snapped my eyes open at the barely audible inquiry. If she had not been looking at me expectantly, I probably would just chalk this up as a nice little dream. "Of course I would," without uttering another word we went to work.

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The little human was so sensitive to her touch; Natsuki couldn't help but continue sating herself. As she told the humans before, sex was a big part of her life. Her biological being can't function to its fullest capacity without it. She wasn't a particularly rough lover, but it had been too long a time that Natsuki had blatantly ignored her needs. Now she and the pretty earthling were curled up on the bed they somehow managed to crawl in, her partner sleeping contently. Natsuki pet her hair absentmindedly, smiling when Shizuru snuggled further in to her touch. Her little human, her Shizuru, for the time being anyway. Natsuki was a little unhappy about telling Shizuru that this was purely the work of her genetics when the time came, but it couldn't be helped. Still, Natsuki wasn't entirely sure that this was purely genetics, but rather using her genetics as an excuse to obtain what she truly desired.

…

Downstairs Reito frowned, miffed at Shizuru's sheer dumb luck. The walls may be sound proofed, the mansion may be gigantic, his room may be on the _other_ side of the house, but she was sure having one _hell_ of a party. He huffed in annoyance and discomfort before rolling over to his side. In all honesty, if he didn't have too much pride and dignity, he would have masturbated to the goings on of his best friend and their alien resident. Reito shuddered in distaste, maybe not. He punched his pillow and, for the umpteenth time since returning home, lovingly cursed Chikako in his head.

…

I had to skip work for the rest of the week. Natsuki was utterly insatiable. I couldn't move a muscle, not only due to soreness in the muscles I forgot I even had, but also because even a simple stir made her want to pounce on me again. It took _a lot_ of convincing to have a proper shower _without_ sex. That wasn't the worst part though, my side was bloody aching! It didn't start until after Natsuki announced that her frenzy was over (to my utter disappointment might I add). Just under my left breast was this uncomfortable burning sensation concentrated in a small circle, like keeping a hand on a ceramic cup filled with freshly boiled liquids. I checked to see if I had an irritating scratch or something, but nothing was there. It just bothered the hell out of me.

"Mmph," I groaned whilst replacing my bra for the second time. _I can't even wear my most comfortable sports bra!_ "Is everything alright _tonzae_?" Natsuki asked, holding two steaming mugs of coffee for us both. "Yeah, it's just…there's something wrong with one of my ribs I think. I'll have to go to get it checked," I replied. I gave up wearing a brassiere and tugged a t-shirt on, wincing a little when my reached a bit too far over my head. "Mmm, was I too rough?" I looked over at her to catch a smug smirk mingled with genuine concern. _This girl, _I shook my head in amusement. "No, I may have been overzealous or something knowing me. By the way, what's that mark on your lower back? I've never seen it before." She turned to place our drinks on the table when her shirt rode up to reveal a small orange marking. It was almost like a mini two ring bullseye except it didn't close all the way. Instead, the symbol's outer circle flicked upward like a thorn. It was such an intriguing little thing.

"It's the mark of my people."

"Oh? Why haven't I noticed it before?"

"Unless we were on my planet, it's virtually invisible here because there was a special chemical in our air that would react with it. The reason why you're able to see it now is because I just got out of my heat. Most were born with it, because it became a genetic mutation, but it always wasn't that way."

I pointedly ignored my side as I reached for my cup. She looked like she wasn't going to continue so I chose to stare her down until she caved. I was never one to pass up a good history story. Besides, who else got the chance to listen to an account of a people who, as far as the public knew, didn't exist? Natsuki's emerald eyes shifted over to mine in a seemingly uncomfortable manner several times before getting the hint. She sighed before gracing her features with a dazzling small smile, I responded in kind.

"There was a special tree on our planet, _the sinning tree_, which provided the mark in the first place. I suppose you could think of it like henna."

"I see," I said while nursing my cup. Honestly, I felt like the burning sensation was only getting worse from drinking it. "Why is it called 'the sinning tree'?" I asked, setting down my cup. "According to legend, our people were banned from a planet similar to earth because several females fell in love with each other and 'came out' so to speak. Same sex love was strictly forbidden; therefore, we were cast out, later finding a home on our planet. In a vain attempt to keep our population alive, the ancestors found a beautiful ancient tree in the center of the planet. The ancestors asked the wise old tree if there was a way to reproduce without the help of man and the tree replied _'You may take the sap from my roots to form a distinguishable mark on your bodies. The mark will aid you and your people to repopulate.' _And so they did, but it is said that the creators of the universe were opposed to our agreement with the tree because they created man, woman and the equivalent to breed. So, they deformed the tree and perverted the sap as punishment.

They said, '_Those with the mark of sin will forever endure pain and death in child birth.'_ But knowing us, we marked ourselves in spite of the consequences made by the creators and nursed the tree to see better days. After a few years though, the tree could endure its pain no longer. With its dying breath, the tree released saplings into the ground for our ancestors to cultivate and harvest for future generations of our kind. It poured the last of its strength to ease our curse to endure immense pain without death. As our people wept into the ground at the end of our beloved friend, their tears cared for the saplings that would be known as _the sinning trees_."

By now, my side made it nearly impossible to concentrate on this elaborate story. "Wow, such a dramatic story," I stated, trying to keep my outrageous discomfort from my face. "Well," my alien started before putting her cup on the nearest table stand, "it beats raping men and killing off all males regardless of age like our cousins." I snapped my gaze at her direction before realizing that she definitely had a point. "Ouch!" I cried, nearly doubling over at the pain when my shirt grazed my left side, "What the hell-!" Natsuki hurried over to my seat, kneeling before me with her eyes clouded with worry, "_Tonzae_, are you alright?" I began shaking my head when my vision swam dangerously with dark edges and my stomach felt sick. "I..guh…lay down?" I couldn't speak right. My head felt like it was splitting open with meat cleaver. I went under. "Shizuru!"

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A/N: Hope this was good enough. Have a fantastic weekend.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey everyone! I've got to update today rather than tomorrow because I won't be home in time to post this new chapter. I thank everyone for their wonderful comments and reviews! After reading them, I felt so refreshed and energized that I couldn't help but work more than what I usually do for updates!

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"_In the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths."-Anonymous_

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_Of Impulse and Fey_

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**I finally woke** up some hours later, finding myself laid out carefully on our spare futon. Shivering, I did my best to sit up, but only succeeded curling up in an awkward manner from the immense pain that shot through my body. "Don't get up Shizuru_,_" Natsuki murmured from her position beside me. Her cool hand brushed across my forehead, and I whimpered in response, my body unsure if the gesture was welcoming or more painful. "…W-water, pluh-please…," I rasped. Reito quietly appeared with a glass filled with water and an obscenely bright yellow crazy straw. I quirked my brow and pursed my lips in amusement. When we first moved into the house, he and I bought a set of crazy straws to remind us of the night at _Nine Tails _where Reito came back drunk from his first and last call. He was so drunk and doped up all he could talk about was "the slut who shoved her hand down his pants" after she slipped him a date rape drug to get out of paying for the night and the "obscenely frilly straws". He chuckled at my look, albeit nervously, before pressing the straw to my lips. Drawing in the water from the glass took more effort than I anticipated and I choked on a droplet. Coughing shouldn't be a bodily function; I thought I was going to die.

I must have passed out again because when I came too, someone was sitting behind me to keep me sitting upright and the light of the morning began to peek through the shutters. My blood was pounding in my ears and pulsing strongly through my body. It was uncomfortable for the most part, but it wasn't excruciating like earlier. A hand carded its fingers through my matted, sweaty hair while keeping a firm, yet gentle arm wrapped around my mid-section. "You know, you've held me like this before, and I thought it felt nice. I hope that it feels the same for you _tonzae_," Natsuki voiced. "Well, I can't say it's totally awful. My body hurts, but not like before." I wanted to sit up a bit more, but there was no strength left in my limbs. "Where's Reito? I hope he doesn't feel too bad about making me pass out…," I stated, allowing the hand to continue its ministrations through my hair. "He stepped out a couple hours after you fainted. To visit his concubine I imagine." This was said with such calmness, that I snorted with laughter; the pain was worth it. "Did I say something funny?" Natsuki frowned at my reaction.

"It just that you called Chikako a 'concubine', I'm not sure she's all that she is to him. It's still hilarious though. I can't wait to tell him when he gets back."

"Whatever you say, Shizuru."

We remained quiet for a time. I was as comfortable as I was going to get in her embrace, so I drifted to a place in my mind where my discomfort wouldn't feel so bad. By the time the sun reflected brightly on the wooden floorboards, we carefully moved from the floor. I managed to plant myself on my beloved chaise lounge (I'm still surprised I made it to my room) when Natsuki turned to head down to the kitchen for food. "Ah- I could make something," I said, trying hard not to offend my temperamental guest. I still had nightmares about returning home to a kitchen that looked like it was hit by an atomic bomb. Her eyes flashed defiance, and she was out the door. _Well, I can't say I didn't try Reito._ The blunette returned not but a few minutes later with a bowl of soup. "Reito prepared this before he left; he also taught me how to use the microwave." I would have chuckled, but a rogue wave of pain twisted from my wretched rib. I vaguely heard the soup slosh onto the floor from being hastily placed on the nearest bed stand and felt Natsuki hover over me, "Is there anything I can do to ease the pain, _tonzae_? What was that?"

"Make it stop," I weezed, "it all hurts so much."

"I wish I could _aymantiae_, I really wish I could."

_A new word, huh? Too bad I can't ask what it means because I wouldn't remember the answer anyway._ However, when she said that I came to the slow realization that she completely understood the situation; she was too aware of it. "Natsuki," I gritted my teeth in agony and fear, "do you know what's happening to me?" Although tears blurred my vision, I willed my eyes to bore deep into hers. Her silence gave me all the affirmation I needed. "Shizuru," she whispered and I felt all the color drain from my face. _No, don't say it._ "You're," the blunette started while taking a cautious step forward, "you're pregnant. With my child." The nausea that lurked within my belly lurched upward into my throat, and I swallowed down hard to keep from spewing the contents on the floor. _I told you not to say it!, _I mentally screamed at Natsuki, too bad she couldn't hear me. "Oh I can hear you alright," she said. I snapped my gaze to focus on her with narrowed eyes. "It's rare, but even those with the thickest of mental walls who had no chance of communicating telepathically before are suddenly able to speak with their mated partners. It has something to do with the fact that their lovemaking breaks down the mental barriers that would otherwise have never been broken."

"I would give anything to have those barriers _back_," I seethed.

"They can only speak with their partners though. Our researchers couldn't figure out why that was other than most subjects were slower to trust the general public with intimate thoughts. Or that they were more prone to anxiety than the rest of the population," she continued as if I hadn't said anything. Still, I caught the minute twitch in her left hand. Her Achilles' heel in terms of showing any outward signs of internal turmoil. Damn it, I shouldn't feel have to feel bad about hurting her feelings. _I _was the only in never-ending discomfort and pain. As a reminder, another piercing stab of pressure tore through my side; I nearly fainted again. When I recovered, my brain finally began working. "Hang on, but how am I pregnant? I'm _nothing_ like you," I asked incredulously. She took in a breath, and uncharacteristically patient as ever, let it out to explain. I wanted to strangle her due to her total composure. It was annoying me. "Remember when you asked me about the mark on my back yesterday? You are marked with it as well. I knew as soon as you mentioned the pain in your rib. You can't see it now, but once you're a little farther along in the pregnancy it will begin to show. And," she smiled awkwardly, "please understand that I'm calm, so you don't panic too much. I think even with your murderous intent you'll be wanting me alive to help you along with the pregnancy."

I only felt that "murderous intent" spike. Natsuki flinched, but rose and retrieved the almost forgotten bowl of soup. "If this is the thanks I get for giving the angel of small death what she wants, then I don't want any thanks," I said, wincing as I tried to push myself into a better-seated position. She said nothing, but I noticed that damned hand again. I huffed in aggravation. Pain always put me in a foul mood. Sure, I had a pretty high tolerance for pain considering, but it didn't make it any less unpleasant. Reito, when I bit his head off for no apparent reason, usually handed me his handy fast acting painkillers because he knew me so well. "_I'm sorry…"_ I mentally apologized, both meaning it and curiously testing our new tether. My alien ice queen gave me a sideways glance before a soft smile spread on her lips. "_It's alright, I can feel only a fraction of what you're feeling, and that's only because you don't know how to control your new ability yet. I've never gone through a pregnancy, but from what I'm gathering now, I wouldn't have been able to handle it. You're stronger than you look,"_ she thought back to me. I can't say that I'm not impressed by this new ability, but it felt weird. It was like I could feel her voice caress my mind, cool and soft, like my satin robe I first laid eyes on her in. Engrossed in my musings, it suddenly became outrageously hot.

Natsuki reached forward to lay her chilly hand on my forehead again as I began to dry heave. "Eat." She commanded, trying to shove the spoon past my lips. "No-" I started to saying, but she pushed the spoon into my mouth before I could finish. _"I don't want to eat. I'll probably throw it up after I'm done eating it," _I grimaced. "You will eat. The reason you having an intense fever now is because you're lacking nutrition to care for both yourself and the child. Even if you vomit, you'll still have some vitamins and minerals than none," Natsuki chided. Her voice was firm, though I could still see the beads of sweat gather at her temples. "Urgh," I grumbled when I finally ate the last spoonful of watered down chicken noodle soup. It was already creeping back up my throat. "How am I supposed to work like this?" I wailed. I wanted to cry, but feared the headache that usually follows after would make my head explode. "Reito said that he will take over for the time being. He mentioned doing so before," my extraterrestrial baby momma (daddy?) answered nonchalantly. _Oh yeah, I forgot about that…_ I wanted to play hooky from work and took a month long cruise all along the coasts of Eastern Asia. _Those were some wild nights. _Natsuki raised an eyebrow at me, and I blushed, completely forgetting that she access to my thoughts. Trying to save face I asked, "How long do the pregnancies last?" Although I asked to try and block her out of _those _thoughts, I was nervous to find out. I may be strong now, but if I had to deal with this for another nine months, I'm not sure I could make it.

"The average pregnancy lasts for three months, however, that's without complications. Since we don't have the equipment to monitor your progress, I have no way of knowing exactly how long this will take. The longest recorded pregnancy was seven months, but both the baby and the mother didn't survive."

Now I wanted to cry more than ever.

…

Reito came by my room later in the evening. He profusely apologized for the crazy straw accident, got on his face and everything; it was embarrassing. He told me that he went to see Chikako- something I already knew- and that they had made up when he showed up on her doorstep white as a sheet. He confided in me that he didn't release any details about my "condition", but only that he really needed some air and distractions. I told him I didn't blame him and teased him about Natsuki calling Chikako a concubine. That was before I was in so much pain I couldn't speak for an hour. "Do you think you can eat a little more now?" Natsuki questioned, carefully sitting me up and rubbing my back in wide circular motions. "I suppose I should shovel it down now before I can't," I muttered. The blunette hummed and nodded and went downstairs to get yet another bowl of soup that was more water than anything else. Lying against my headboard I sighed heavily, "This is going to be a _long_ three months."

…

Something was wrong. She could feel it. At first Tomoe couldn't put her finger on it, perhaps it was the taste in the air? No, that wasn't it, but what _was_ it? Annoyed, the woman marched into her kitchen to set the teakettle she finagled from her sweet Shizuru's home. They were going to be together forever anyway, so she would return it as a self-wedding gift. Throwing open her cupboard, she thought of her little plaything. "I wonder how she's doing. Missing me I imagine," she cooed to herself while grabbing a dainty teacup. Not even a moment past after the words left her mouth when the cup's handle broke clean off and shattered on the floor. _This is a bad omen…_ Her 'Zuru-chan was alright, wasn't she? There was no need to be alarmed by the human's silly little superstitions, right? The water sizzled in its confines, rising in temperature. Staring down at the cup, the teal haired alien felt a grotesque chill down her spine. The cup was the last gift Shizuru had given to her when it all ended. "Ah ha well I guess now I can ask her for another...," Tomoe squeaked out nervously. This was bad. Something was terribly wrong.

_"I'm sorry…"_

"'Zuru-chan…?"

"_I don't want to eat. I'll probably throw it up after I'm done eating it."_

Tomoe's eyes bulged in alarm. The sudden ache in her side felt too familiar. Shizuru was suddenly speaking through her mind, and not to Tomoe, but to someone else. It was apparent that her lovely pet had just obtained the skill due to the fact that she couldn't control it. Most children began like beacons, literally shouting out their thoughts across. This wasn't right. Tomoe tried to brace her body against the countertop, but her hand missed, making her fall to her knees hard. This was all wrong. How could she hear Shizuru's thoughts now when Tomoe _knew_ those mental walls were stronger than _gariabiyean _steel? There was only one-way, she was marked. To top it off, she was marked and made pregnant. Realization dawned on her, _the other woman from the windowsill._ "That _stupid_, _skanky whore!"_ She screeched. The other woman was the last of that _filth_ Tomoe had been trying hard to shake off her tail. And now she's contaminated her beautiful prize. "If only I was able to kill her off last time," she snarled angrily.

Getting to her feet, she almost didn't feel the scorching heat of the stove fire when her hand slipped past the protective grates of her gas stove and into the fire. A nasty smile spread on her face as she hungrily eyed the flames. The teakettle screamed.

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"Ya know, everything still doesn't make sense," I said in my bed. It wasn't like I could go very far in my state. Natsuki paused in changing into her- my- sleepshirt, "How you are marked, you mean." I nodded. I wanted to ask her mentally if she was the one who marked me, but she told me later that I shouldn't speak much telepathically because I was more of an anomaly than she realized. It turns out that now that I can speak telepathically, everyone else who can speak telepathically can hear my thoughts too. Since Reito found information that this "Tomoe" was closer in proximity than what was considered safe, she didn't want to risk exposing me and my pregnancy to the vile creature. "So…was it you?"

"No, it was not. However, I do have an idea who did though."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

"The people you loved most. The 'humans' who raised you and disappeared when my planet went to war, your parents."

"You're joking," I deadpanned.

The heavy medicine ball was back in my stomach, overriding the chill in the air. My parents were normal. They had to be. I mean, yes, I had two mothers and I was adopted, but times were changing. Two mothers or two fathers raised most people on earth now, it was normal. There are many truths I have to accept, and many more facts that I have yet to uncover, but within the whirlwind of answers and questions I couldn't accept the fact that my parents weren't who I thought they were. I needed some rock, some foundation, to keep my footing in this whole process. And yet, pieces of the puzzle about the odd things my parents did started clicking together. Why they were upset I couldn't dream, the timeline of their disappearance corresponding with Natsuki's appearance, and why not even the top of the line private investigators could find them, they weren't here. They weren't _from_ here either. I must have started hyperventilating at the startling revelations because Reito came out of nowhere with a brown paper bag. Once I got my breath back, I nudged Reito's hand from my face.

"The investigators said something that I didn't understand at the time," I said to no one in particular, "They told me that prior to my adoption no one under the names of Maria and Rochelle Graceburt ever existed." Natsuki gasped and recoiled from my bed as though she had been burned. Reito looked between Natsuki and me in puzzlement before asking, "Do those names mean anything to you?" The extraterrestrial nodded frantically. "Yes, Maria and Rochelle Graceburt were well-known researchers of our planet. Their most famed theories were about mental blocks and telepathic inconsistencies."

"People like me," I said feeling a bit hollow inside.

I loved my parents very much. I looked up to them. I went to the ends of the earth trying to find out what happened to them. Eventually, I came up to my own private conclusion that they grew tired of me and left without a word. That that was why they didn't put up a fight about my leaving home. I thought that it must have been easy to do since I was adopted, related by name and not by blood, that they chose to abandon me. I bought a failing technology company and built it from the ground up, so that they would come back. So, that they would tell me how proud they were and how much they loved me. It wasn't like they didn't say so when I was growing up. My parents were kind and patient and loving toward me. Even for something simple as learning how to tie my shoes, they _never_ failed to tell me how proud they were. My mothers were my life. Reito knew that as well. I think they knew that I was always trying hard to please them after _Nine Tails _and told me on many occasions that they loved me no matter what I accomplished. Even if I didn't managed to accomplish anything at all, I was their little girl.

Nonetheless, my fears have come true. I was nothing but an experiment. One they never could come up with a solution for. They must have never really loved me then. "Shizuru?" Natsuki called out to me. I brought my tired gaze into hers, breaking inside. I didn't have the power to speak anymore. I lost my will to live. Just then, my midsection exploded with pain. "Ah-!" I screamed while doubling over in agony. This was worse than all the other times, the pain that felt like knives stabbing me from the inside with the heat of a thousand suns, I couldn't pass out though. My body wouldn't let me. My ribs felt like they were cracking under some invisible pressure binding my upper half. Sweat broke out on my body and I felt like I was drowning, suffocating. "M-mak-make it sto-p!" I shrieked, "Oooow, God-! Make it STOP!"

_God, please, let me die._

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A/N: Well, that is a wrap for this chapter. I wonder if Shizuru's going to be okay... Thank you soooo much you wonderful readers, you. And even though it's not Friday, have an awesome rest of your week and have a fantastic weekend! Updates every Friday (normally...)


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hello everyone! I'm sorry for the wait, and thank you for being patient with me. I know this update is a week late, however, I explained that on my tumblr account, so, please check that out for more details (on my main author page thingy). I also want to mention that one of my reader's had a good point in wanting to know where I'm from. I live in Southern California, so go by that time for future updates. It totally didn't occur to me that people live outside of my bubble .-.

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"_Be with the people who know your worth. You don't need a lot of people to make you happy, just a few who appreciate you for who you are." –Anonymous_

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_Of Impulse and Fey_

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"Wha- Shizuru!" Reito cried out alarmed, reaching out to hold an agonizing Shizuru. "What's going on!?" He frantically asked Natsuki as she sat clutching her stomach. "Urgh, her pain is passing over to me. She's given up her will to live." Reito eyes widened. He never felt the fear that settled in underneath his skin before, the sickening chill that crawled along his muscles, paralyzing and deeming them useless. "Reito," Shizuru whispered, ghostly pale and clammy, "I- I want you t-to know th-that you have been-n," she gagged and vomited on her expensive Egyptian cotton sheets, "-a good friend." Shizuru proceeded to crack a weak smile before doubling over again. Her hair matting against the sloshy contents of her stomach that, now that he focused on more clearly, had globules of blood mixed in. He didn't quite understand everything that was going on, but he wasn't going to go back on his promise now, especially now when his beloved friend needed his help most. "OI, YOU! DON'T GIVE UP ON ME NOW! I'VE GOT A FUCKING PROMISE TO KEEP!" So saying, he fled the room.

Through the suffering, somehow, Shizuru was able to hear Reito and was temporarily relived from her torture by the puzzling scene of her best friend scampering out of the room. _What promise?_ "Shizuru…?" Natsuki asked gently. Hollow ruby eyes met concerned emerald, there was nothing more to say. It was obvious that she wasn't alright. It was obvious- to Natsuki at least- what the source of her pain was. There was nothing Natsuki could do to console the dying human, they both knew it. If Shizuru ended up dying, Reito would simply live a happy life with Chikako because she had written her will years prior. She left everything to him. If Shizuru ended up dying, Natsuki would find a new home either here or somewhere else in the vast universe that earthlings know nothing of yet. If Natsuki ever needed anything more from Shizuru, other than food and shelter, was their child, nothing else. There really was nothing left for the tawny haired woman.

"Grraaahhhh!"

"Ungh-…"

Both females cried out in unison, tears springing out from both sets of eyes, Shizuru from pain and Natsuki from anguish. Natsuki desperately wished for something that she could do or say to keep her little human from feeling so… irrelevant. The ice queen hadn't ever felt this level of depression among her people before. This level of desperation to be wanted, to be _loved,_ was astounding. Unfortunately, situations like these don't come with instruction manuals, and the physical hurt was beginning to hinder all current thought. Natsuki glanced at her _tonzae_, whimpering when something akin to razor blades raked at her intestines. Shizuru wasn't going to last much longer, and who knew if the fetus even survived this long. At this point, the pregnancy was a total loss. Natsuki felt a pang in her heart, separate from everything else she was feeling. Her carelessness led to the unnecessary death of an innocent bystander, her own unborn child.

…

"Where _is _it damnit?!" Reito said tearing through a chest he kept hidden in his closet. It was a sturdy wooden trunk given to him by his father. The dark wood gave off a mysterious aura. It still had a stain on the lid from where his father placed his glass of Armand de Brignac Brut Rose champagne. His father died shortly after gifting the Japanese male the trunk, perhaps he knew when he was going to pass. He died in a car accident. He was hit by a drunk driver, the drunk driver survived. Still, even though the chest didn't hold any exotic riches of the world, it held the items most precious to Reito. "Found it!" he exclaimed before rushing back upstairs, praying he wasn't too late. He was mid-way up the stairs when he heard Shizuru scream. "Nonononono," he chanted to himself, quickly cursing the sweat that stung his eyes as he hurried up the rest of the stairs. He rushed into the room carrying a heavy looking scrapbook, "Don't you die on me yet woman!

I made a promise to your parents that I _intend _on keeping for the rest of my life," he began while kneeling along Shizuru's bedside. "They made me swear that I look after you until I breathe my last." Looking to his friend, he realized that the words were not getting through; desperate, he roughly cupped her fragile face to look up into his. "They made me swear to look after you, and as your friend I accepted. I didn't say yes because I wanted to keep my job. I didn't say yes because I only see you as a friend. I said yes because you're like my little sister, family. I said yes because I _need_ you! Do you understand? _I need you!_" The light was rapidly fading out of her red irises. Letting go of her face in favor of opening the book caused Shizuru to fall forward, almost face planting in the semi- fresh vomit that was still there. Natsuki, in complete awe at Reito's forwardness, chose to ride out the agony and moved to hold her frail _tonzae_ upright.

Shizuru's breath was too short and shallow now, whatever Reito planned on doing, he needed to do it faster.

"Look," he said, shoving the curious book onto his friend's lap, "your mothers made this scrapbook from the very first day they adopted you to the day you moved away. They collected and recorded _everything _tangible of your existence, because they knew that one day they wouldn't be here to continue telling you how much they adored you." The book was open to the first page where two women, Maria and Rochelle Graceburt, each held the tiny hand of a smiling little girl that stood between them. Maria Graceburt a tall, strapping blond, whose usual stern face was softened by small smile and twinkling eyes, gazed lovingly at both her partner and their newly adopted child. Rochelle Graceburt faced the camera head on with a beaming smile, her silver ringlets reflecting the sun and accentuating the happy flush of her cheeks. Shizuru felt her heart squeeze at the sight of them. _They look so happy,_ she thought. Reito glanced at Shizuru, relieved at having caught her attention, before looking to Natsuki. Natsuki was connected to Shizuru now, and somehow was able to gauge if what he was doing was working or not. Natsuki gave a quick nod to keep going.

Feeling more determined now, he flipped to the next page. It was about her first haircut. They kept a lock of Shizuru's lighter tan hair in a neat little ribbon beside another picture of a nervous child seated on the salon chair. _To this day, I still hate going to the hair salon_, she thought with a chuckle that sounded more like a gasping wheeze. As if to set the fact in stone, there was a note stating _"Do not cut Shizuru's hair again,"_ in Rochelle's elegant handwriting. Reito continued flipping through the pages, taking his time to make sure that Shizuru saw every painstaking detail. Natsuki saw that in the gigantic scrapbook held everything there was to know about the female earthling, definitely past the point of embarrassing. From her first bike ride to sneaky pictures of her _Nine Tails_ nights, it was all there. It was definitely awkward for Shizuru to see the _Nine Tails_ pictures, but with the way they were taken only went to prove just how fiercely protective her mothers were of her. Finally, they came to the page in the scrapbook where all three women stood before Shizuru's current home, unconsciously reenacting of the first scene of when all of them met. Shizuru stood tall and proud like Maria, but smiled delicately like Rochelle, holding their hands in between them; Shizuru was the perfect balance between the two.

By now, Shizuru had calmed considerably, but she was still aching terribly. Her breathing started to become full and long with the occasional wince. Natsuki didn't know how Shizuru was able to stay conscious throughout the ordeal because the pain she personally felt was excruciating enough. "Reito," Shizuru rasped, "thank you." The taller woman placed a shaky hand on his cheek, able to smile a little more. "I'm not finished yet," he replied. True to his word, there were a few pages left unviewed. "I saw that not all of the book had been used up, so I made some pages of my own." The next page had Shizuru blushing and tearing happily, someone _had_ taken a picture of the time he kissed her on a dare at _Nine Tails_. Natsuki grunted, but neither of the pair could tell if it was from disgust, jealousy, or humor. Ignoring it, Reito pressed on. The next picture told the unspoken tale of Shizuru and Reito drunkenly singing Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" Continuing to sift through the pages, more and more of the pair's misadventures were documented with the utmost care.

"I never took you for a sap," Shizuru commented, color returning to her cheeks. "I didn't either until I started putting these pages together," Reito smiled. He took her hand in his, careful not to squeeze as tight as he really wanted to, just to make sure she wouldn't go anywhere, "This was made so that you would remember. We- your mothers and I- love you, you dolt. Please don't make me say this again because it is very embarrassing for me. I've never even told Chikako that I love her." Shizuru's eyes crinkled jovially, "I suppose that makes me your one and only." Reito swore to himself that he would never cry in the presence of others, but he was just so relieved that Shizuru wasn't going to die, that he couldn't help it when the dam's broke. He cried and cried, Shizuru murmuring sincere apologies and carding her fingers through his hair, until his cries became quiet sobs. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Reito. I'm very thankful that both you and my mothers thought this all out beforehand. I'm grateful to have people like you in my life."

"You're damn right, brat." He grumbled while wiping the straying tears from his eyes.

Shizuru's eyes began to droop, and Reito looked to Natsuki, assuming the worst. Natsuki merely grinned in response. "I…I'm gonna take…a nap…," announced a tired Shizuru before nodding off into a deep sleep. "I'll bathe her while you change the sheets," Natsuki said, scooping the sleeping beauty from her dirtied bed. Reito let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and hummed in affirmative. Exhausted, Reito rose from the side of the bed, his knees hurting, and gathered the soiled sheets from his best friend's near deathbed.

…

Natsuki marveled at the near translucency of her _tonzae's_ skin, a side effect of sorts due to the pregnancy. _Her pregnancy,_ Natsuki thought another pang ripping through her heart. "I'm sorry Shizuru," Natsuki apologized to the resting human, "I wish I took more care of you." By now, Shizuru was cleaned up and back in bed. Summing up the courage, Natsuki placed a hand over Shizuru's belly. _"I wish I could've spared you,"_ she spoke telepathically to the most likely empty womb. Although Reito mentioned to Natsuki that there weren't any indications of a miscarriage, they couldn't rule out the possibility altogether. Just because there weren't signs now, didn't mean that the baby survived. Pregnancies were risky business on the alien's planet, and that was with all the necessary equipment and personnel handy. There was a very slim chance that there was hope yet, and Natsuki clung onto that sliver of hope. Natsuki always wanted to be a parent. It was one of her unvoiced desires in life. Many- if not all- her friends thought that she just wanted to be every child's favorite aunt because she never mated with anyone.

When she had sex, she and her partners used protection to keep from unwanted pregnancies. She had sex, only because she had to, but mating was something different altogether. Mating was for life, and Natsuki hadn't found the right person to "settle down" with. Obviously, Natsuki wasn't intending to mate with Shizuru either, neither of them knew that she was marked by the _sinning tree_ sap. Shizuru rustled beneath the sheets, her fever rising again, and groaned in discomfort. Without thinking, Natsuki placed her hand atop Shizuru's forehead and allowed her cool hands to bring down the fever. _I wonder, _she thought to herself idly, _even if I had known, would I still have tried to prevent your pregnancy?_ Natsuki moved her hand so that it could be placed behind the taller woman's neck, and the human shivered and sighed contentedly in response. Even though Natsuki wanted a family, it would have been foolish to think that Shizuru would have agreed into becoming a baby maker. The businesswoman expressed specifically that she had no time for _pets_ on their first meeting, that definitely meant she would have no time for children.

With all that said though, Natsuki couldn't say that she actually regretted mating with Shizuru. From a logical standpoint, Shizuru was well to do, educated, and stunning. From an emotional standpoint, Shizuru had a great connection with her adoptive parents. They may not have been blood, and not even from her world altogether, but her bond was strong. That fierce sense of love and loyalty would make her into a wonderful mother for any future children. Shizuru's fever lowered and Natsuki removed her hand. The alien ice queen had never felt the urge to keep in physical contact with someone before and satisfied herself by playing with the tips of tawny hair. _No, I don't think I would have tried to prevent it, _she thought to herself again. If this baby didn't make it, Natsuki was sure to convince Shizuru to try again. The knowledge made her feel light and giddy, so as she continued to play with her mate's hair she hummed happily the nursery songs of destroyed planet. Whatever fate drew them together, Natsuki did not come to regret any of it.

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A/N: I'm really sorry that this was a super short chapter, I wanted to make it longer, but... I took too long in starting this last chapter. I will do my best to make it up to ya'll in the next update. *Side note: Shizuru can't control her telepathic abilities, so Natsuki can feel everything she's feeling TO A DEGREE. What I mean is, the pain that Natsuki is feeling in this chapter is NOTHING CLOSE to what Shizuru's actually going through. So, kids, don't have kids. Have an awesome Friday and fantastic weekend! Updates every Friday. (Please give me one more week to update if I don't make the deadline, if there still isn't an update, go ahead and spam me.)


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Hello everyone! Thank you so much for hanging on. I know I took longer than expected to upload this next chapter. (I even said I was back on my tumblr account, I'm so cruel please forgive me T^T.) Still, thank you again! Now onto the show~

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"_In our togetherness, castles are built."_

_-Irish proverb_

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_Of Impulse and Fey_

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_**Boy, the**_ road to recovery was a long one. Reito and Natsuki took their respective shifts in caring for me over the next several days. I still felt sick, though, not nearly as horrible as before. Reito, once he finally believed I was well enough, went to work in my stead at the company. I felt a little lighter knowing that my precious life project was left in capable hands. He also mentioned to Natsuki that he was pursuing a new, much stronger lead as to the whereabouts of the last murderous criminal. Natsuki seemed very relieved to hear such good news, but aside from that, she had…changed. I wasn't so sure about it at first, thinking it was purely the work of my continuous delirium, but as time went on I definitely noticed something different. At first, it was the sound of her voice. When speaking to me it became gentler than when she spoke to Reito. I figured that it had to do with the fact that I still had terrible migraines and for that I was grateful, but then came the other small gestures. A soft word here, a jovial crinkle in her eye there, and a small caress when she thought I was asleep.

Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying every second of it, but I wasn't quite sure what brought this on. Was it pity for my painful condition? Remorse for losing the baby? I couldn't tell. Perhaps I was looking too much into this, because I was eighty-nine percent sure that it had nothing to do with the fact that she actually liked me. Natsuki had just begun playing with the tips of my hair again, and I sighed contentedly. My ice queen had taken a liking to doing that the most, I was suspicious that maybe she probed into my mind at some point while I was unconscious because I absolutely love it when someone plays with my hair and it was something that not even Reito was aware of. When I confronted her about it, she neither confirmed nor denied, which was unlike her, but I was able to read between the lines. She just wanted to play with it, which was fine in the end anyway.

"You know, I'm really craving some oranges…" I said matter-of-factly. It was odd that I craved such a fruit because I never really gravitated toward them. I'm more of a sweet strawberry person. "Do we have any stocked in the fridge?" I asked, looking to Natsuki who continued to play with my hair. "What is an 'orange'?" She asked, puzzled enough to stop her ministrations for a moment. "Well," I stated sitting up more comfortably on my bed, "it's a round fruit that's the color…erm orange?" I laughed at my explanation when Natsuki merely scrunched up her face more in confusion. "C'mon, let's head down to the kitchen before my headaches start up again." Making our way down to the kitchen, I immediately spotted the ripe fruit and nearly made a run for it. My hands had begun to shake and my head began to reel, I needed this thing _now._ Sensing the urgency, Natsuki did what she thought would be best. Take the fruit from my hands and…

_ Splat!_

She succeed in smashing my beloved orb onto the counter top. I really wanted to laugh at the incredulity of the scene, but the scent of the sweet fruit hit me like a wall that I grabbed a chunk to quickly shove into my mouth. Even the peel was amazing on my tongue. "What a strange food…" Natsuki commented. The extraterrestrial proceeded in following my example and ate a smaller piece. I hummed delightfully in response, the relief that washed over me was astounding. Feeling a little more stable, I took another whole orange from the fridge. Natsuki tried to pry the fruit from my hands and this time I did laugh. "There are different ways to opening an orange," so saying I reached for my kitchen knife and cut the fruit into sections. "See? Less mess," I said handing her a section. We stood in silence, munching away, when I felt it. Small bubbles in my belly, bubbles that seemed to suck greedily at the nutrients the fruit gave off. Thinking I needed to burp, I tried to do so as discreetly as I could, but the feeling didn't lessen.

Curious, I ate another section before giving into another sudden craving, pickles with peanut butter and sour cream. I quickly rummaged through my kitchen before finding the contents I was searching for and shoveling the seemingly disgusting, yet oddly satisfying combination down my gullet. "You make that seem like the richest food in the entire galaxy, and I would join you did it not smell so sour."

"Yeah, honestly, I'd never ever had cravings for such things until today…"

"'Craving?' Is that a human aspect?"  
My brows shot up at the question, "You've never craved anything? Maybe you had a different word for it where you come from, but 'to crave' something usually means that your body is missing some vital nutrients and is searching for the food closest to satisfying that need. This also goes outside of food, like a sort of _yearning, _but that's something different altogether." I finished with a slight blush creeping on my cheeks when I reminisced our first coupling. _Hopefully, she doesn't notice…_

"_Tonzae,_ are you feeling alright? You're cheeks are turning pink."

Blushing harder at being found out, I simply nodded and took another bite of my pickle slathered in peanut butter and sour cream.

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Back in my room, I twisted at the semi-uncomfortable feeling of the gas in my stomach. "Natsuki, could you help prop me up? I don't think I can lie down just yet." Natsuki eyed me suspiciously before leaning over to fluff up a pillow underneath my back. I had begun sweating from the small amount of exercise and I was feeling quite tired. "Maybe I ate something bad. I can't be for certain because Reito is very particular of his produce, maybe it was the combination…" I trailed off to myself in thought. "Is there something wrong, _tonzae_?" I hummed in response. "My stomach, there's something weird going on in there," I said patting it slightly. The bubbles felt like they were rising in response. It felt like opening a bottle of soda after shaking it a little. _'A rush of carbonation fighting to reach the surface'_, I remember one of my professors in college describing that was how the early stages of pregnancy felt.

At the sudden realization, I felt giddy and light headed. I knew that the color had drained from my face and stress sweat broke from my brow, but I also felt the stupid smile that I couldn't wipe off my face. The baby made it.

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Natsuki marveled at the expressiveness that her partner possessed. The wide range of emotions playing out on her face and through her eyes, Natsuki and her people were more of the stoic sort. Only because everyone could read each other's emotions through their thoughts that they never really needed to show them on their faces. Of course, everything has a set of outliers. Her friend Haruka flashed in her mind, and Natsuki lovingly caressed at the memory before filing it away and coming back to the present. So, her child had made it after all. The relief waved and crashed within her and Natsuki felt her face reciprocate Shizuru's in her elation. "We're…we're really going to be parents after all." Natsuki whispered to herself. Her knees collapsed underneath her and she fell with a hard thunk. Shizuru watching her extra-terrestrial winced at the sound. "Are you all right, Natsuki? That must have hurt a bit. Here," the human patted at the spot on the bed next to her, "hop in."

The blunette stared at the spot when she heard the ruby-eyed pregnant woman snort delicately with laughter. "Do I need to coax you into bed with me again?" She wiggled her brows in amusement referring to the first time Natsuki and Shizuru had slept in the same bed when she was still in canine form. Natsuki merely gazed at her dazedly before realizing that the prickly sensations she felt in her eyes were her tears. The foreign droplets slid down her cheeks before she could catch them. Wiping them with her hand, Natsuki watched the salty water glisten on her palm in amazement. The only time she ever allowed herself to cry like this was when she was sure she was alone.

The last one left.

She heard rustling from the bed above her and saw Shizuru's slim fingers wrap around hers. Natsuki looked up to see Shizuru producing tears of her own. _This human woman couldn't ever look ugly_, Natsuki thought as she watched the tears shimmer in her eyes with the most beautiful smile gracing her features further. "You little fool, I thought you would've figured it out by now." Natsuki didn't understand and must have shown her confusion on her face because her human lover sighed as if being put upon before brushed a stray tear away. "You are no longer the last one, _tonzae_." Natsuki merely collapsed in Shizuru's arms when the next wave of grief, relief, and other emotions crashed into her.

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"I'm going to be an uncle, eh?" Reito asked delightedly while preparing a concoction of food I was craving. "_Damn, this baby sure is one greedy little beast,"_ I thought while patting my slightly bulging belly happily. "Yes," Natsuki replied before coming to place her hand atop mine. I smiled at my ice queen knowing that she answered to both of the present and private conversations. This telepathy thing could be quite handy. "Ah yes, I found something that would interest you Natsuki." Reito said before placing a tray of beautifully breaded, fried onions that were cut into strips to be easier to dip into a puddle of honey mustard and –dare I say it- mayonnaise. Natsuki faced Reito with full attention; however, she dipped her finger in my sauce despite herself. I watched her shudder a bit at the mustard and giggled a little. She really was adorable.

"I've almost got her. My sources have found a few residents with in our area that hadn't moved into this neighborhood until a little over three and a half years ago- corresponding with your timeline. Unfortunately, the information is a bit…scrambled. Whoever it is, they're really good at covering their tracks," Reito said crossing his arms and frowning in thought. _"He's miffed that it's taking this long. He's really good at finding people," _I thought over to Natsuki. _"Before working for me or at Nine Tails, he was a private investigator."_ Natsuki 'hmmed' telepathically in response and I visibly quivered at the sensation. Who knew how long it was going to take before I got used to it. "We hit another wall just recently too. They must've found out that we were digging because the company got hit with another cyber-attack wiping specifically _that_ information. And don't worry," Reito turned to me, "it's all under control now. I didn't want to bother you with it until I knew you were well."

"Wise decision. Did they scrap everything you found?" I asked, mid crunch into my fried onion.

"No, well, they deleted what they could before the security firewall booted them out. The rest is just in scrambled pieces." He said broodily. To Reito, such an attack was an act of war. He regarded himself very highly when it came to computers, systems, code, and the like. In fact, he was the technician I entrusted to build that very security firewall program. This must have been a heavy blow to his male pride. I patted him on the shoulder sympathetically whilst heading to the fridge for something to drink. Natsuki sensing this on small level offered what she could in terms of comfort. "Still, this is better than where I had been with nothing before. I thank you deeply, Reito." Reito looked up at her in a bit of shock. She had never addressed him with his name before. After a beat or two, Reito cracked a smile of gratitude. "You're very welcome." By this time I had returned to island where I had been enjoying my snack this time armed with a beverage in a light brown color.

Taking a sip, I "ahhed" in delight before munching on another onion sliver. Reito and Natsuki regarded my drink and me in curiosity. "I'm afraid to ask, but Shizuru, what are you drinking?" Reito questioned while trying to discern the answer for himself by staring harder into my glass. "Coca-Cola and milk," I said innocently. "Oh for the love of- SHIZURU! Now you're taking this pregnancy craving thing too far! That's disgusting." He reached for my glass and I neatly swiped it from his grasp and took a hard swallow. He was a lover of Coca-Cola and the combination obviously left him in displeasure. "The bubbles are too harsh on my stomach and I didn't want just milk so I did what satisfied both needs." I tried to argue. To be honest, if I hadn't been pregnant and completely sane, I wouldn't drink this either. I set the glass behind me and did my best to fend of my friend from my drink. Unable to keep my attention on Natsuki, she snuck behind me and too a swig. "Oh, that's…odd. If not completely terrible, Shizuru I don't think you should continue drinking this." With that said, she dumped the contents into the sink. "Wha- but I'm thirsty!" I pouted. "I'll make you some tea," Reito said, happy that Natsuki was on his side.  
"But it's hooooottttt! I want something cool," I replied, teary and pouty like a child.

"I'll make you _iced_ tea then." Reito said unaffected at my outburst.

Natsuki on the other hand, merely rubbed the small of my back that had begun to ache for sitting for too long. Relenting, I leant against my extraterrestrial's front. She then wrapped her arms around me and I felt happy and safe in my small cocoon. Sighing in contentment, I listened to Reito filling a pot with water and Natsuki's steady breathing and promptly fell asleep.

…

"And she's asleep," Reito said laughing at the bundle in Natsuki's arms. "So it seems," Natsuki replied with a small smile "I'll take her upstairs." The Japanese male nodded before proceeding to clean up the area. "Natsuki," Reito called out when the blunette reached the doorway, "I will find her." The ice queen stood, carrying her lover in her arms, stunned. Reito didn't know what drove him to say it, but he gave into the need. "I know you will, _zxhenzwei."_ Reito stood puzzled at what she just called him. He wasn't sure if it was a compliment or an insult. The manner in which it was said seemed like she was calling him an idiot. "It means 'friend'," she muttered hurriedly over her shoulder as she turned to leave once again. _"'Friend', huh?" _Reito thought to himself. Who would have thought that he- the skeptic- would have made a friend out of someone from a different planet? "Life is definitely full of surprises," he said softly to himself, scrubbing lightly at dried orange peels.

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**A/N: **I hope that you all enjoyed this installment of "Of Impulse and Fey". Thank you again for your everlasting patience. I will be working on the next chapter, but I cannot guarantee that it will be up in a week to two weeks time. I will do my very best, however, to keep you updated on my tumblr account. Please enjoy the rest of your week. Love you all~


	12. Chapter 12

"_In union, there is strength."_

_-Aesop_

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_Of Impulse and Fey_

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** The three of **us progressed slowly the next few weeks. Natsuki and Reito working together to sift through the limited backup files left me and my unborn child to ourselves. I slept for the most part. It seemed that all the hard days were behind me, thank goodness. At times, there was minor discomfort, but nothing near to the caliber as before. The alien ice queen informed me that this was most unusual, but shouldn't be the cause of any alarm since the baby and I seemed lively enough. When I had enough energy to pull through a warm, hazy afternoon, I walked out to the back porch and read, reading a loud so that my baby could take the journeys with me. With the wide variety of books I had shelved in my personal library, of course I bypassed core literary classics and went straight into my favorite fictions. We aided the greatest detective of fictional history, Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, John Watson, on their interesting cases all throughout London. We tumbled through the looking glass together to search with Alice for the white rabbit. We waded our way through the bloody tales from the Brothers Grimm. Oh, we were having such a blast.

"It's too bad that we can't name you yet," I said a bit glumly. Natsuki and Reito both agreed against going to the hospital. They both had the fear that not only would I be discovered pregnant out of wedlock-which is the very _least_ of my worries, thank you-but I would have a bit of trouble explaining how I've only been a few weeks in and the baby is somehow near the middle of the second trimester. Of course, the doctors nor the nurses would be the wiser if we just fibbed, but then realizing I had about another month left to go until show time…yeah, that would have been very hard to explain. "Besides," Reito said once while shuffling through merger papers, "with how Natsuki and I are faring in our search. The Queen most likely knows of your condition and would most likely be taken with the idea of disposing you as well." _Well, isn't that a surefire way to end my bitching,_ I thought.

"Ah well, I can't complain, can I? As long as you're safe and healthy," I said patting my swollen belly contentedly. "Oh-!" I yelped as my companion kicked hard in response. Beneath the sudden movement, my stomach growled something fierce. "Okay, okay, I get the message," I giggled, "let's go find something to eat." Walking straight to the kitchen, I grabbed for what I was craving the most right now, carrots with peanut butter and sauerkraut, nothing too outlandish in my opinion. As I reached for the jar of sauerkraut, Natsuki and Reito emerged from the shadows of the study where they had been pouring over the same material that seemingly went nowhere. They looked like zombies. My heart pulled sympathetically at the bags under their eyes, but I knew better than to suggest that they should take the rest of the day off. This was too close to the both of them. On one hand, it was a challenge, a gauntlet dropped against stubborn pride. On the other, it was personal, vengeance for the people she loved. I quietly sighed and returned to assembling my food wishing there was something I could do to help. "Shizuru, that looks awful," Reito deadpanned as he slumped into a chair along the island in the kitchen. "There's nothing I can do about it, I'm eating what makes me hurt less," I responded, adding a dash more sauerkraut in childish spite. Apparently, I help as comedic relief. Natsuki said nothing, and slumped her body into the seat nearest me. My hand itched to reach out to her, but I thought against it. Even with all that has happened between us, I still had no real- tangible- idea of where I stood with her. It was easy to see that she had begun to trust Reito and me more, appreciative of Reito's help and my child bearing, but nothing more than that.

That was quite an unfair explanation though. Reito filled me in on the details I missed when I slipped into the throws of sleep the other night. Natsuki saw us as friends. Crunching on my slathered carrot, I pointedly ignored the quick pang of hurt I felt when I realized that that was all I was to her. It isn't that I'm not happy that we were finally seen as allies, but…well, I suppose it doesn't matter what I think anyway, nothing would change by simply wishing for it. Sighing through my nose, I finished my impromptu meal and patted my belly softly. "There, happy?" I asked the baby, receiving a punch in response, "Oof-!" Natsuki wearily lifted her arms and reached for me, holding me close to rest her head on my belly. "Don't give your mother a hard time, she's suffered much because of you already," she told the baby in a stern yet gentle voice. I felt the blush creep along my cheeks, thankful that she couldn't see it. My heart leapt and soared at the attention, and the small glimmer of hope that perhaps I was wrong about where I stood with her after all burned like a beacon.

She hadn't let me go, so I began to card my fingers through her hair as I wanted to before. Natsuki groaned in a decidedly appreciative manner and nuzzled further into my belly. "I suppose we should take a break. I promised Chikako that I would spend some time with her anyway," Reito said stretching to stand. "I'll take tonight and tomorrow off. So, at least make sure you're both fed something…edible." I stuck my tongue out playfully and listened to him leave for the next several minutes. "Hey," I nudged the blunette, "why don't we go to bed?" Nodding, we trudged our way up the stairs and snuggled in bed. I contented myself listening to her breathing become even and long. She had a rough week to be sure, but I couldn't help the warmth flush through my body. _So, this is love._

…

Natsuki was still asleep by the next morning. The baby pressed roughly against my bladder and I dutifully got up to pee. Once finished, I decided that crawling back into bed may disturb her slumber, and feeling quite awake, I thought to take an early morning walk. As much as I enjoyed lazing about, I also missed being able to have time with my naginata. Unfortunately, with the size of my belly now, I wouldn't be able to safely maneuver my beautiful weapon. "A walk will have to do," I muttered to myself as I changed into comfortable maternity clothing. _"I look gigantic and absolutely hideous. Oh how I loathe you damn elastic, if only you weren't so bloody comfortable!"_ I thought with much disdain. Reito did the shopping himself, and although the clothes weren't ugly per say, because surely they were tasteful, I just didn't like pregnant women clothes in general. This most likely due to my love of lingerie and the thought of what my body will look like post-pregnancy is something I didn't want to actively think about. As I bent over to reach an ancient pair of sneakers I had Reito rummage from the depths of my closet, I felt silk tickle my mind. _"You look just as beautiful as when I first laid eyes on you _tonzae,_"_ I felt her say. Sitting up quickly, I saw Natsuki gazing at me from the bed. My face heated and I moved to shove my swollen feet into their respective shoe.

"Yes, well, I suppose I should work on my telepathy thing more. I'm going out for a walk. Seeing as how tired you are, I didn't want to disturb you in bed. Are you going to want breakfast before I go?" It was minute, but her face scrunched up when I mentioned the thought of my making breakfast. "Hey, I made you that brilliant chocolate raspberry cake before, didn't I? You can't say I don't know how to cook." Natsuki merely smiled in response before peeling back the covers of the duvet. "Breakfast sounds wonderful."

…

In the kitchen, I prepared an American Southwestern omelet for her hearty appetite and Nutella crepe for me. (I was surprised at how tame this craving was, but Natsuki found that egg and chocolate was a revolting combination.) We ate in companionable silence. I finished first and as I put the plates in the sink, I saw a car similar to mine cruise passed the house through the window. "Natsuki," I turned to lean against the counter, "how did you end up in Jack's shop anyway?" Natsuki looked up from her omelet in surprise and I watched her lips pull upwards into another smile. "I catch the Queen's scent easier in canine form and was searching for her quite actively at the time. As I was searching, I had no idea that humans were partial to capturing 'stray' animals, and thus was caught and placed in something called a 'dog pound'. Oh the noise was sucked to be sure," she rubbed her ears absently before continuing. "Anyway, Juliard- the original shop owner- came by the pound for a new pet and thought I would be a wondrous companion. I was already angry at losing progress in my search that I snapped at everyone and everything that came my way. Juliard was no different. Still, he managed to force me into another crate to take me to the shop. Weeks passed by and I resigned to my fate, playing with the puppies and keeping the older dogs company. They taught me how to be patient again."

She pushed her plate away in favor of leaning her arms onto the counter. I watched her eyes wander far into the past and remembered that feeling of being watched. It seemed so long ago now that I first felt those eerie eyes land on me. "Juliard lost his mother in a foreign land not too long afterward and in a rash decision to remain at his mother's estate he sold the shop to Jack. By then I had calmed some, but didn't let Jack have his merry way either. It wasn't until I saw how hard he worked to keep us comfortable that I decided to help him in all I could. I managed to convince all the animals to look out for him. And when he brought his family into the shop, well," she came back to the present to send another smirk my way, "I told you my weakness for children." Recalling my last conversation with Jack about Natsuki being something called "the fey" I giggled. _Oh Jack, _I thought to myself, _if only you knew just how right you were._ A pleasant quiet fell between us, but I felt that the spell to ask all of my questions had not yet broke. So to keep the conversation going I asked, "How did you find me in the car on my way home?" The blunette spoke around a mouthful of flavorful egg, "I didn't do it intentionally. It must have been the mark." Bringing my attention to the mark of the _sinning tree_, I rubbed just under my breast where my invisible mark was. It probably acts a homing device as well. That's good to know. Allowing Natsuki the pleasure of finishing up her meal I let my eyes wander about the kitchen. I caught sight of where my fire extinguisher used to reside. "Natsuki," I began, unsure if my spell had finally broken, "what happened that night?"

"Hm?"

"What happened the night you came home wounded?"

She set her glass of water down after taking a long sip to stall. Another minute ticked by as she took the last bite of her meal and chewed it thoroughly. "Um, never mind," I said, back pedaling to the front door, "I'll go take my walk now. I shouldn't be too long." I turned to hurry out the kitchen when a cool hand gripped my wrist. "Stay," she said. Once my ice queen was satisfied in knowing I wouldn't run anymore, she placed her dishes in the sink and led me to the living room. "It isn't that I don't want to tell you," the blunette started, "I want to _show_ you. To exercise your 'telepathy thing'." Her mouth quirked up into a grin and I couldn't help but mirror the gesture. "Still, as much as I want to do that, I am not sure that your condition can allow something of this intensity."

I spared a glance at my swollen belly, and though I wanted to think rationally, the prospect of learning new things excited me a bit too strongly. "Well, how 'intense' is intense?" I ventured. Natsuki sighed, shook her head good naturedly, and placed her forehead atop mine. "You are too curious for your own good." I had enough sense to at least offer a sheepish smile. "I'll do my best to take this slow, you can stop at any time by simply imagining closing a steel door. But first, let us take a seat. You need to be completely comfortable and relaxed, otherwise it will hurt more than it should."

"Sounds like what they said when I was losing my virginity."

I meant to make a joke out of this, but I could feel her jealousy slip past her mental guard and jolt quickly into my body. After a tense millisecond, we made our way to the plush loveseat in the living room. She was very careful not to look at me and I wanted desperately to apologize, but didn't know how. Even though I regretted my words when they came out, I can't help my satirical humor. "I'm sorry," I muttered. It may not have been the best way to apologize, but straight out saying it seemed best. We sat there for two whole minutes with my last words hanging in the air. I know that it was two exact minutes because I was facing my grand clock. Finally, when the whole experiment looked like a loss, she gently grasped my hands and rubbed firmly across my knuckles. "I-I'm sorry too," she stuttered out. It wasn't until then that I noticed the blush adorning her cheeks. "I strongly hold onto the concept of human monogamy. It's not- it _wasn't_\- a normal practice of my kind. I was in an earthling sociology class when I first heard about it and realized that that is how I wanted my first relationship to be like." If I hadn't felt so guilty before, I sure felt it now. Not only did I ruin her concept of pure love with our sex before marriage, I _joked _about the loss of my virginity with a person that wasn't her! The thought of all my previous _distractions_ had never been so uninviting before. "I've been told that I romanticize silly things," Natsuki stated hurriedly, "please forget it."

"No, no it's alright. That's what a pure relationship _should_ be like. I'm sorry that it didn't turn out that way for you. It's not your fault you ended up with me."

"I don't regret anything concerning you."

The response was so fast, so _genuine, _I nearly accepted it for what it was_._ There was no way that I, Shizuru Viola, had a long-term partner. A partner that was actually admitting to being a long-term partner in a vague way, there wasn't any way. After all the sins I unknowingly committed against her, this person I cared for with all my being, she cared for me too? I stared at her dumbfounded, "What?" Her dazzling grin grew tenfold. Opening her hands she said, "Let me show you." A very famous French psycho-analyst named Jacques Lacan argued that language, the act of speaking itself, hinders human relationships and self-development. He basically said that we could not express what we truly want to express because true feelings are so pure and complicated that no words can give them justice. He was very right. From the moment I laid my hands flush against hers, my world tilted sideways. My heart fluttered, my stomach buzzed and clenched, my head went light and somehow I knew that this was how she feels when she sees me. When I am near her. When she knows that I'm alright. When she sees the baby grow ginormous day by day. Natsuki was letting me _feel_ the intensity of what is _love_. It was…wow. (See? Words can do no justice.)

Suddenly my vision cleared and I was staring at the clock once again gasping for air. It read 6:31pm. Wasn't it a quarter to twelve the last time I checked? "Yes," she said "when you first start synchronizing with your partner time runs away until you get the hang of it. It takes a long time to 'load' into your system so to speak. You might feel a little tired too."

"Well I hadn't felt it 'til you mentioned it. And you're spending _way_ too much time with Reito if you using basic computer talk." I grumbled feeling my eyes grow heavy. Natsuki chuckled and gathered me close into her chest. I fought to stay awake, I fought really hard, but the feeling of being held by my…_partner_ felt so nice I couldn't.

…

Natsuki held her there until she saw the lights of Reito's car flash along the front of the house signaling his return. The blunette simply scooped her up and took her to their bed. The added weight of the baby made going up the stairs a little difficult, but not by much, not enough to pitch them down the stairs anyway. Removing Shizuru's shoes and tucking themselves in, Natsuki heard Reito bustle quietly about the house before hearing his door _click_ close. Shizuru had made sure to clean up the kitchen before his arrival. When Natsuki asked about why this was since it was his job she replied, "Just because it's someone's job to do something doesn't mean you have to make it harder on them." Her little human always piqued her interest, and this endearing fact of her innate compassion was no different. Natsuki stroked her hair, caressing her. Natsuki wasn't sure if she was going to tell Shizuru that because she was still new to mind melding that she completely left herself bare to Natsuki. All that she felt, saw, heard, tasted, memories not quiet locked away, Natsuki endured it all. Her human was more fragile than she let on. This fact only left Natsuki's desire to protect her and their child all the more fierce.

…

The house was in shambles. Torn and shattered from multiple fits of rage, Tomoe was forced to lay on the pool table for rest. All of her hard work in decryption wasted, her pet in the hands of her enemy, and worse, pregnant with an idiotic little _beast, _oh, she would not take this laying down. She refused. Her fisted hand bashed against the green velvet underneath her and felt the wood crack dangerously before she checked her temper. Taking a semi cleansing breath, Tomoe sat up and yanked at the annoying dangling light fixture above her. She may have lost this battle, but she would not lose war.

A/N: Hey! Long time no-Oof-!...Yeah I kinda deserved that. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! I know it took way longer than it should have to put it up and I apologize for that. I will do my best to build a pace again. By the way, if you do end up looking up Jacques Lacan, I suggest you don't. Unless you love being depressed. I used a piece of his work to sum up what I wanted to say in the story, but it's sort of used out of context. He's a great psycho-analyst and his articles were very thought-provoking, but really, REALLY, sad. Anyway, I wish you all the best. Until the next chapter. (P.S. Thank you everyone who told me I left my code showing! Omistars how embarrassing was that /)


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